Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson underwent surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in the middle finger of his throwing hand on Friday and could be sidelined for four to eight weeks, according to multiple media reports.
Wilson consulted with a Los Angeles hand specialist on Friday to determine the extent of the finger injury on his right hand. Wilson was hurt Thursday night during Seattle’s 26-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Seahawks haven’t yet revealed Wilson’s surgery or provided an estimated timetable.
Wilson got hurt on a deep throw in the third quarter to Tyler Lockett, with his follow-through hitting the wrist of Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald. After the incompletion, Wilson held up his bent middle finger. He returned for the next drive after getting his finger taped but threw just one pass on a three-and-out series before giving way to backup Geno Smith.
The 32-year-old Wilson has yet to miss a start in his 10 NFL seasons. His streaks of 149 consecutive regular-season starts and 165 starts counting the regular season and the postseason are both the longest active runs among quarterbacks.
Wilson finished 11 of 16 for 152 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Smith led the Seahawks on a 10-play, 98-yard touchdown drive and wound up 10 of 17 for 131 yards with one TD and one interception.
Smith last started a game in 2017 when he was a member of the New York Giants. Overall, he has started 31 games — 30 coming with the New York Jets between 2013-16.
“I totally trust that Geno can do this, and I think you saw it last night in a really difficult situation — hurry-up, all that kind of stuff, he was really good at it,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said earlier Friday before the extent of Wilson’s injury was known. “He really understands the system. so we’ll be able to stay with the preparation and that’ll help everybody.
“Geno makes guys … feel confident and feel comfortable, and I thought that was a great showing.”
Smith was a second-round pick by the Jets in the 2013 draft but struggled mightily. He threw 21 interceptions against 12 touchdowns while starting all 16 games as a rookie and had 13 of each in 2014 when he started 13 games.
In addition to the Giants, Smith was on the roster of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018 before joining the Seahawks in May 2019.
The Seahawks (2-3) have a long week to prepare for their next opponent. They will face the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3) on Oct. 17.
–Field Level Media
