Getty Pete Carroll admitted how valuable Russell Wilson has been to the Seahawks.
The Seattle Seahawks are reeling without their franchise quarterback.
Since Russell Wilson fractured his finger (requiring surgery) in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks have lost every game since. At a current record of 2-5, the Seahawks have the worst record in the NFC outside of the Detroit Lions and are currently a game and a half behind the Minnesota Vikings for the final wild card spot in the playoff picture.
With Wilson placed on injured reserve last week, the earliest the veteran quarterback could return is in Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers.
While the Seahawks will have a winnable game this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars and a bye week after that, it’s a realistic possibility that Seattle misses the postseason for the first time in four years.
Needless to say, head coach Pete Carroll is feeling the heat without his star quarterback. Following the Seahawks’ 13-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Monday, October 25, the longtime head coach admitted how valuable Wilson has been to his success in Seattle.
“I’ve been here a long time. And if we didn’t have Russell, I probably wouldn’t have been here a long time. Think of all the magic he’s created through the years,” Carroll said. “One of the winningest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. And it’ll be really fun when he comes back and plays football again for us this year.”
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Carroll: Seahawks Owe a ‘Tremendous Amount’ to Wilson
Carroll — who has been coaching Wilson since he was drafted in 2012 and has been with Seattle since 2010 — continued to shower praise on his injured quarterback.
“We owe a tremendous amount,” Carroll continued. “You can see how hard it is. All of these games, the Rams game … the Steelers and this one, Russell’s a factor. He’s a fantastic, positive factor and always has been, and those were exactly his time. That’s his time. That’s when he shines.”
Despite their woeful record, Carroll stressed that the Seahawks will continue to compete without Wilson.
“We miss him, and in the mean time we’re going to keep fighting and clawing and doing what we can,” Carroll said.
Wilson Gearing up for Week 10 Return
In order for Wilson to return following the team’s bye week, he has to have a successful recovery from injury.
According to a report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo on Saturday, October 23, Wilson is trending in the right direction for a return. The 32-year-old quarterback is having the pin removed from his middle finger this week and he has a shot to immediately return from injured reserve in Week 10.
The Seahawks are clearly missing Wilson’s ability to not only close out games as they’ve lost the past two games with Geno Smith by a combined six points. Furthermore, the passing game has clearly declined without Wilson.
During the first four games of the season, the Seahawks averaged 26.0 points and 243.3 passing yards per game. Over the course of the past three games, Seattle is averaging just 15.6 points and 185.3 passing yards per game with Smith leading the way.
While Smith has done a solid job managing games, the Seahawks are at their best with Wilson at the helm.
If Seattle has any chance at clinching a postseason berth for the fourth consecutive season, they’ll hope Wilson’s recovery ends up being a speedy one.