Seattle Seahawks provide update on Russell Wilson post-surgery

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on Oct. 15 was placed on the injured reserve list, making him ineligible to return prior to Week 10 due to his finger injury.

For quite some time, it seemed unclear whether Wilson would make his return later than that, as he sustained two finger injuries that required surgery. However, the Seahawks on Monday announced that they have activated Wilson from the injured reserve, releasing a statement that the star quarterback is eligible to return to play with no setbacks.

“Russell Wilson sustained severe injuries to the middle finger of his right (throwing) hand during a game,” Dr. Steve Shin, who operated on Wilson, said in the Seahawks’ statement. “He had immediate surgery the following day in the form of a repair of a fracture-dislocation of his proximal interphalangeal joint an an exterior tendon rupture (mallet finger).

Although this was unchartered territory (I have never in my career seen such a severe injury to the throwing hand of an NFL quarterback), I have also never encountered a player so committed to his postoperative therapy and with so much conviction to return to the same, if not better, level of performance as he had pre-injury. I am absolutely amazed at his progress, so much so that I can now confidently clear him for full return to play without reservation.”

Wilson suffered an injury to his right middle finger in Week 5 against the Rams, and the initial timetable was 6-8 weeks. In his absence, the Seahawks turned to backup quarterback Geno Smith to fill the void; Smith had a 68.4 completion rate, throwing for 702 passing yards, five passing touchdowns and one interception in four appearances (three starts). The Seahawks went 1-3 with Smith under center, claiming its only win on Oct. 31 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Prior to his injury, Wilson had a 72 percent completion rate with 1,196 passing yards, ten passing touchdowns and one interception in five games. Additionally, he rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown.

Though the Seahawks have not stated if Wilson will play this week, his clearance from a doctor and his designation off the injured reserve points toward an active status. The Seahawks face the Green Bay Packers this week, with kickoff on Nov. 14 at 4:25 p.m. ET.

Wilson, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound product of Wisconsin was selected by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, taken off the board with the 75th overall pick. He won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks and made it to one more, while being named a second team All-Pro in 2019. Additionally, the 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year winner has made it to eight pro bowls in his NFL career.