Getty Russell Wilson is back from Injured Reserve.
Mr. Unlimited is officially back in action. The Seattle Seahawks have designated Russell Wilson to return to practice, putting him on pace to suit up against the Green Bay Packers on November 14.
The Seahawks announced the decision on November 8, opening the door for him to work once again with his teammates. Wilson can continue preparing for the upcoming game against the Packers, but the Seahawks will have to activate him from Injured Reserve no later than Saturday, November 13.
Once this move takes place, he will immediately be eligible to take back his starting job from Geno Smith and play for the first time since October 7 against the Rams.
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Wilson suffered a finger injury after a collision with defender Aaron Donald, knocking him out of the lineup and forcing the seven-time Pro Bowl quarterback to undergo surgery the following day. He had a pin inserted into the middle finger of his throwing hand, which his doctor ultimately removed on November 1.
Wilson missed a total of three games while recovering from the procedure on his finger. He sat out losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints, as well as the victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars while remaining on injured reserve. Once the team returned from the Week 9 bye, Wilson became eligible for activation.
Along with Wilson, the Seahawks also activated two other players. Wide receiver Dee Eskridge has been out since suffering a concussion in Week 1, but he will return to practice. Additionally, cornerback Nigel Warrior has been on Injured Reserve since the start of the season, but he will join Wilson and Eskridge at practice.
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Wilson First Revealed His Impending Return to the Field
It’s Time.
The veteran quarterback created optimism about his potential return to the active lineup on November 8 when he posted a video on social media. The stylized clip, “It’s Time,” showed Wilson at various points of the process. He examined an X-ray with his doctor, took part in rehab, and received treatment for his finger.
The most intriguing part of the video was a quick glimpse of a football stadium. This was not Lumen Field, the home of the Seahawks. The location in question was actually Lambeau Field, the site of the Week 10 game against the Packers. Wilson capped off the clip by showing himself walking out of the tunnel with Smith behind him.
Wilson has posted multiple updates throughout his recovery, continually creating optimism that he would beat the original timeline and return to the Seahawks at a critical juncture point. The latest video confirmed that Wilson had achieved his goal and would be ready to take on the Packers.
Wilson Received Medical Clearance on November 8
Shortly after the clip surfaced on social media, Dr. Steven Shin released a statement through the Seahawks. He explained that Wilson had suffered severe injuries but that the quarterback was committed to his rehab. Dr. Shin officially cleared Wilson to make his return to the football field.
“On October 7, 2021, Russell Wilson sustained severe injuries to the middle finger of his right (throwing) hand during a game,” Dr. Shin said in the November 8 statement. “He had immediate surgery the following day in the form of a repair of a fracture-dislocation of his proximal interphalangeal joint and an extensor tendon rupture (mallet finger).
“Although this was unchartered territory (I have never in my career seen such a severe injury to the throwing hand of an NFL quarterback), I have also never encountered a player so committed to his postoperative therapy and with so much conviction to return to the same, if not better, level of performance as he had pre-injury. I am absolutely amazed at his progress, so much so that I can now confidently clear him for full return to play without reservation.”
The Seahawks will now head to Lambeau Field for a November 14 game against the Packers (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS). At 3-5, the team needs a win to keep pace with other playoff hopefuls. Having Wilson back in the lineup will only help them achieve this goal.
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