Cardinals turn to Seahawks week as Seattle prepares without Darnold

Arizona's coaching staff did not linger on the Chargers tape for long. By the time Mike LaFleur met the media Monday, the Cardinals' first-year head coach said he had already spent nearly five hours preparing for the Seattle Seahawks - the defending champions Arizona hosts Sunday in its home opener at State Farm Stadium.

The opponent's quarterback picture shifted on the same calendar. Seattle announced that Sam Darnold is dealing with a short-term soft-tissue glute injury, not a hip-joint problem, after leaving the Seahawks' season-opening win. There is no firm return date, but the club is describing the injury as short-term, and multiple reports have indicated Drew Lock is expected to start Week 2 in Arizona.

LaFleur's reset message

LaFleur tied the week to a humility theme he floated after the 26-14 win at Los Angeles. "It's just noise. Nothing matters," he said Monday via azcardinals.com. Recovery, mental reset, and Wednesday's work against a "really quality opponent" were the only priorities he listed.

Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne framed the charge as building from success rather than failure - turning five-yard catches into 10-yard gains and converting short-yardage details the Chargers game still left on the field. Running back Jeremiyah Love had said postgame he would celebrate for a half hour and then move on. LaFleur's Monday session made that timeline official for the building.

The coach also said he wanted to clean up pieces of Jacoby Brissett's game even after a solid debut. Arizona's offense generated nearly 400 yards in Inglewood; the Monday message was that yardage alone does not finish the install for a division rival that just won a Super Bowl.

What Darnold's absence changes - and what it does not

Seahawks.com's Monday update stressed that Darnold's injury is a "very unique" soft-tissue issue and that the hip joint is unaffected. Optimism around a short-term outlook does not put him on the field Sunday. ESPN previously reported sources expecting Darnold to miss Week 2, with Lock in line to start and Jalen Milroe behind him.

For Arizona, that swaps a Pro Bowl quarterback for a veteran backup without changing the defensive assignment sheet. Seattle still brings championship personnel and a road identity built under Mike Macdonald. LaFleur's emphasis on flushing the Chargers result is partly about avoiding a letdown against a backup, and partly about treating the Seahawks as the standard they claimed last February.

Home opener stakes after an 0-expectation Week 1

Arizona entered the Chargers game as a heavy underdog and left SoFi Stadium 1-0. The next test is whether that confidence survives a quick turnaround against a division opponent missing its starter. Budda Baker's postgame comments after Los Angeles stressed that the win was only Week 1 and that the work still has to show up against Seattle.

Sunday's home opener will answer how far the Cardinals' early defensive takeaways and time-of-possession edge travel when the opponent has a full week to prepare - and when the visiting quarterback is Lock instead of Darnold. LaFleur's Monday clock already started on that problem. The medical update from Seattle only narrowed which quarterback Arizona has to solve first.

Sources

azcardinals.com

seahawks.com

ESPN