Russell Wilson will be fine. If his incessant pacing on the sideline during Geno Smith’s brief tenure as the Seahawks’ starter on Thursday was an indication of his desire to return to play, it would seem Wilson would rather amputate the dislocated middle finger than spend another quarter not playing under center.
But the exercise in seeing him off the field was a valuable one amid Thursday’s 26-17 loss to the Rams in Seattle, because it forced some of us—beyond just their loyal, perpetually frustrated fan base who has been ruminating on this for years—to ask an important question about a team that is always good, sometimes great and seldom reminiscent of the Seahawks we have come to know under head coach Pete Carroll.