Is Russell Wilson playing tonight vs Jaguars in Week 8?

Star quarterback Russell Wilson is the headline absentee for the Seattle Seahawks ahead of today's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wilson is out due to a finger injury that he picked up at the start of October. He's missed consecutive games, and the Seahawks' season is sinking quickly. The 12s are desperate to see him back on the field, but it won't happen against Jacksonville.

Backup quarterback Geno Smith has stepped up in Wilson's absence. However, the results haven't been pretty. Pete Carroll's team are 2-5, and their NFL playoff hopes are fading fast. The good news is that Carroll offered an update regarding Wilson and when he may return.

Wilson isn't far away

After undergoing surgery, Wilson is spending time rehabilitating and recovering before his return. His head coach provided positive update on the buildup to today's game:

"He's pretty positive, He's feeling really good. His finger looks great, all the stitches out and that kind of stuff. He looks great. So he's making all of the strides that he should be making way ahead of schedule, so we'll see what that means."

Wilson is a vital cog in the Seahawks' machine. The offense has sputtered as injuries have robbed them of Wilson, Chris Carson and Dee Eskridge. Since Wilson's injury, the Seahawks haven't vaulted past the 20-point barrier in any game.

That is unsustainable for any team, never mind a team with designs on making a run to the playoffs. Wilson is one piece of the puzzle regarding the Seahawks' offensive identity. The other player they need is Chris Carson.

The top running back has missed large parts of the season, and Carroll provided an update on him:

No updates about him coming back at any time that we can predict at this moment. So we've just got to wait it out."

Pertaining to today, the Seahawks shouldn't need Wilson or Carson to defeat the lowly Jaguars. Urban Meyer's team is terrible, and outside of rookie Trevor Lawrence, they are deficient in every facet.

It is a must-win game for the Seahawks. 3-5 gives them hope of crashing the wildcard party. 2-6 will surely end all hopes of making the playoffs. Without Wilson, the Seahawks need to find a way.

---