Seattle's Super Bowl aspirations were dealt a major blow on Friday after tests on Russell Wilson confirmed that the Seahawks quarterback had suffered a ruptured tendon in the middle finger of his right hand.
He already underwent surgery to repair his injured finger and is expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks and possibly up to eight weeks. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Wilson will be out for an extended period given the complexity of the operation, which required screws to stabilize his middle finger.
Wilson injures finger after hit by Aaron Donald
During the third quarter of Seattle's 26-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Wilson suffered the injury when his throwing hand made contact with Aaron Donald's arm while firing a deep pass. Replays showed the tip of Wilson's middle finger unnaturally bending downward after the hit.
Wilson managed to return to the game after being examined by the Seahawks' team doctor and Seattle's athletic training staff members. He lasted just one series, though, throwing one short pass on a Seattle three-and-out before Geno Smith replaced him for the remainder of the contest.
Wilson flew to Los Angeles early on Friday to meet a hand specialist and decided to undergo surgery, with Dr. Steven Shin performing the procedure. Sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that Wilson's surgery decision was made with his long-term health in mind.
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Wilson's consecutive starts streak to end in Week 6 on SNF
That decision will end Wilson's streak of 149 consecutive starts in the NFL, which is the longest by an active quarterback. He will be sidelined for the first time in his NFL career when the Seattle Seahawks play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 6.
Since the 1970 merger, only Hall of Famer Peyton Manning has started more consecutive games (208) to begin his career among quarterbacks. There's no questioning Wilson's toughness as he had played through some notable injuries in his pro football career, including a sprained MCL and ankle in 2016.
The issue with Wilson's current injury was not just about pain management, as he had trouble controlling the football with his damaged middle finger. The good news for the Seahawks is that Smith showed signs on Thursday Night Football that he can lead this team for the time being.
He engineered a 10-play, 98-yard touchdown drive on his first possession to slice their deficit to just two points. Smith had a chance to lead Seattle to a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, but he threw an interception just before the two-minute warning that ultimately sealed the Seahawks' fate.
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