Russell Wilson Undergoes Surgery to Repair Injured Finger, Expected to Miss Multiple Weeks
Russell Wilson has undergone surgery to repair the ruptured middle-finger tendon in his throwing hand and is expected to miss several weeks, sources confirm to Seahawk Maven. He's expected to be sidelined through mid-November.
Wilson suffered the injury halfway through the third quarter of the Seahawks' eventual 26-17 loss to the Rams on Thursday night. Trying to connect with receiver Tyler Lockett on a deep pass down the right sideline, Wilson hit his right hand on the outstretched hand of Los Angeles defensive lineman Aaron Donald on the follow-through of his throw.
Despite being unable to bend his injured finger at the knuckle, Wilson came out for the Seahawks' very next drive. He attempted one pass for a one-yard gain to tight end Colby Parkinson then was sacked to solidify a three-and-out. Afterwards, the decision was made to hold him out for the remainder of the game.
Already off to a disastrous 2-3 start to the 2021 campaign, Seattle will now look to its backup, Geno Smith, to keep its playoff aspirations afloat until Wilson can return.
Smith completed 10 of his 17 pass attempts on the night for 131 yards, one touchdown and one interception. On his first two drives of the night, he led the Seahawks to a pair of 98- and 46-yard scoring drives. But with a chance to tie or win the game late in the fourth quarter, Smith was picked off by Rams safety Nick Scott as the targeted receiver, Lockett, tripped on his route.
For the first time since 2011, Seattle will play meaningful football games without Wilson at the helm. The team's upcoming Sunday night matchup with the Steelers will mark the first time the potential future Hall of Fame quarterback has missed a regular season or playoff game in his storied career—snapping his 165-game streak.
With a defense that's making history for all the wrong reasons, head coach Pete Carroll and his staff will face their greatest test in the 12 years since the regime took over. If they're unable to turn things around on the defensive side of the ball and learn to live with Smith, this could get out of hand in a hurry.
