Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has undergone surgery on his injured finger on Friday and is expected to be out for roughly six weeks due to the complicated nature of the operation, according to US media reports.

The first-choice quarterback injured his right middle finger in the Thursday night loss to the Los Angeles Rams. In the third quarter, Wilson’s fingers hit the arm of defensive tackle Aaron Donald on the follow-through of a pass attempt. He tried to play one more series and threw one more pass before giving way to Geno Smith in the fourth quarter.

The veteran backup led a 10-play, 98-yard touchdown drive on his first possession, but threw a crushing interception that ended Seattle’s chances of a comeback.

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X-rays on Wilson’s finger came back negative, but following an MRI on Friday morning, Wilson underwent the procedure performed by Dr Steven Shin. Smith is the Seahawks’ backup and is expected to serve as Wilson’s replacement for the time being.

The Seahawks are currently 2-3 in the ultra-competitive NFC West and losing Wilson could prove to be devastating for their hopes of contending in 2021. Smith will be asked to keep them afloat, starting with a primetime date with the Steelers in nine days. The next three weeks with games at Pittsburgh and home against New Orleans and Jacksonville seem like must-win games for the Seahawks playing in the NFC West.

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Of all the attributes that have made Russell Wilson one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL for several years, his durability has ranked high on the list.

He had never missed a start, and only rarely not taken a snap.

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The closest Wilson ever came to missing a game was in 2016 when he suffered an ankle injury in the season opener and a sprained MCL in his knee in Week 3. Wilson never missed a start and in the first game after injuring his knee threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns in a win over the New York Jets.