Seahawks QB Russell Wilson could miss matchup vs Packers in November

There is a good chance that on November 14th, when Seattle plays at Lambeau Field, that Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will not be on the field to face off against the Green Bay Packers. The former Badger quarterback injured the middle finger on his throwing hand yesterday after he hit Rams defender Aaron Donald’s arm while following through a pass, leading to Wilson being pulled out of the game.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported this morning that Wilson had flown down from Seattle to Los Angeles to meet with a hand specialist and that the belief was that he had mallet finger, a tear in the extensor tendon that prevents someone from straightening the injured finger due to damage around the fingertip. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler later reported that the Seahawks are expecting Wilson to miss at least a month and up to eight weeks with the injury.

Rapoport later added that Wilson had surgery to put two screws in the finger today, as initial diagnoses were proven correct. Wilson, who since entering the league has gone on the fifth-longest consecutive starting streak in NFL history at the quarterback position, is now assumed to be out for one to two months, as backup Geno Smith will have to keep the now 2-3 Seahawks moving forward.

Smith went 10-of-17 for 131 yards, one touchdown, and one interception off the bench against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, with the interception coming on a play where wide receiver Tyler Lockett fell down. For his career, Smith has posted a passer rating of 73.0 and has only made two starts since the end of his 2014 season when the New York Jets finished with a 3-10 record. Smith ultimately lost the starting job in New York in 2015 when his teammate IK Enemkpali fractured his jaw in the summer and Ryan Fitzpatrick stepped in as his replacement.

The four-to-eight-week recovery window for Wilson’s surgery is particularly interesting for the Green Bay Packers, who play the Seahawks in 37 days. Seattle will have a bye week before their November 14th outing with the Packers, meaning that Wilson’s first snaps back from this injury could be against Green Bay, though it is not promised that Wilson will be healthy enough to suit up for the game.