The Seattle Seahawks are in primetime this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers and when the game was scheduled, the expectation was a showdown between Russell Wilson and Ben Roethlisberger.
Alas, it will be Geno Smith in Wilson’s place as the star Seattle signal-caller is out following a nasty finger injury suffered a week ago.
At first, the timeline was set at about one month.
Then there were rumors it could take six weeks or more.
The Seahawks have decided to end any hope of a quick comeback by placing Wilson on injured reserve.
#Seahawks coach Pete Carroll tells reporters that Russell Wilson will go on Injured Reserve, knocking him out 3 games. The first time he could return would be vs. the #Packers in Week 10.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 15, 2021
Wilson can now return in Week 10 at the earliest, which is fresh off a bye for the Seahawks.
The End Of A Streak
Wilson debuted in 2012 and has not missed a start since.
That all comes to an end this week to end one of the most impressive streaks in the game today.
With @Seahawks QB @DangeRussWilson ruled Out for Sunday's game, his consecutive games started streak comes to an end, the sixth-longest in NFL history. His 149 consecutive games played ranks second in franchise history (@JonRyan9 – 159). pic.twitter.com/cq8iZpYKe8
— Seahawks PR (@seahawksPR) October 15, 2021
This type of durability is just wild to think about and shows how reliable Wilson has been since he joined the team.
It is weird to even fathom another quarterback lining up under center for the Seahawks.
That is why the offseason trade rumors surrounding Wilson may not have even felt real for some fans in Seattle.
The good news is that he will return at some point and start a new streak.
In the meantime, the goal is to not fall too far in the NFC West standings.
The Upcoming Schedule
The Seahawks play the Steelers, New Orleans Saints, and Jacksonville Jaguars before hitting the bye in Week 9.
Even without Wilson, there is no reason to expect the Seahawks to lose all three.
If somehow they do and fall to 2-6, his return may not be enough to save the season.
There is also no guarantee he can indeed return in Week 10.
The last thing the team wants to do is rush him back at the age of 32 and jeopardize his future.
The pressure is now on Smith’s shoulders as he tries to have a second act in the NFL.
It may be short-lived, but a solid few games would up his value on the trade market and in the future.
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