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Russell Wilson will miss only the second game of his career on Week 7, when the Seattle Seahawks take on the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football.
With Geno Smith starting the game, the Seahawks' chances of winning diminish drastically. Wilson is the best player in Seattle, and while Geno is a capable backup, he's nowhere near the level of a starter quarterback in the NFL. The Saints have a really good defense, which will only make Smith's task harder.
There are great receivers in the Seahawks' offense, and we know Pete Carroll is one of those conservative coaches who prefer to focus on running the ball, even with an elite quarterback at his disposal. Seattle is already in a difficult situation this season, and without Wilson, this should get much harder.
How much time will Wilson miss?
Against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5, Wilson suffered a finger injury that required surgery. The quarterback is bracing to return to the field on Week 10, against the Green Bay Packers, which would represent a month of absence for him.
Week 10 is also the earliest that he's allowed to return. Wilson was put into injured reserve after his injury, which meant he had to miss at least three games. He was out for the Week 6 contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers and will definitely be out for the next games against the Saints (Week 7) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 8).
The Seahawks have a bye in Week 9. They can activate Wilson for the 53-man roster and he can return to practice, but there will be no game for the team anyway.
Wilson had never missed a single game during his 10-year career before the finger injury. It's a really impressive feat, considering he was one of the most sacked quarterbacks over the last decade. This was due to his style of play and a weak Seattle Seahawks offensive line that saw him take a lot of hits from defensive players, however, he remained a durable player.
Despite his level this year being surpassed by some of the younger quarterbacks, he remains one of the best in the position overall. Wilson developed incredible chemistry with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, his two main receiving weapons, and big plays were a consistent theme for Seattle's offense, especially after Shane Waldron became the offensive coordinator this year.
With the Seahawks sitting at 2-4 and playing in the toughest division in the NFL, having Wilson back on the team as soon as possible would help Seattle a lot. Division leader Arizona Cardinals are 6-0, so the NFC West title is utopia, but the NFC Wild Card race is a mess right now. Once Wilson is back under center, however, the Seahawks can mount a great challenge for one of the remaining playoff spots in the second half of the season.
Also check out: Complete Thursday Night Football Schedule 2021
