RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson said he needed to have his jaw realigned as a result of a hit he took in the team's win over the Arizona Cardinals last week.
Wilson feels fortunate to have avoided a fracture.
"It was pretty close," he said Friday. "The doctor was like, 'Man, any harder, we probably [would have] had to wire your mouth shut,' so that was a good thing that didn't happen."
The hit occurred on a third-quarter sack by linebacker Karlos Dansby, who was fined $18,231 by the NFL. Wilson was sent off the field by referee Walt Anderson to be evaluated for a possible concussion then returned after missing one play without being examined, which led the NFL to launch an investigation into whether the team followed proper protocol.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told ESPN in an email Friday that the investigation is ongoing and that there's no timeline for its conclusion. The Seahawks could be subject to fines of up to $150,000 depending on the outcome of the investigation, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
"I think that the league's got to do what they've got to do, and obviously it's really important for player safety and everything like that. I was completely fine, just my jaw got busted up pretty good as you guys could see," Wilson said. "But we're cooperating and doing everything that we can to make sure that we do it the right way. That's how we always try to do it, so that's all."
Wilson added: "Walt did a good job. Everything was fine, so we'll talk about that with the league and stuff like that."
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has said the team is cooperating with the league's investigation and declined to discuss any specifics of the matter.
"I need to see what they think," Carroll said this week when asked whether Wilson was properly evaluated. "I just know what I was told during the game, and we're going to unveil all of that and we'll talk our way through it with the referee and all that and figure it out. So I really can't give you any details right now, but we should know more in a couple days I think."
Wilson began his news conference Friday by making light of how he could "halfway speak now," which he had a hard time doing for a few days after the hit.
"It hurt pretty good," Wilson said.
He had to wear a hard mouthpiece over the weekend to realign his jaw. He also couldn't eat solid foods.
Wilson made light of his mouthpiece in a video he posted on Instagram.
"Really, the first 2½, three days, I couldn't really eat anything," he said. "Just doing smoothies and all that kind of stuff."
Wilson said he's fine now after "tons of ice, treatment and all that." He was a full participant on Thursday's practice report, which listed him as having a jaw injury.
"I may be talking out of the side of my mouth for the rest of the year, but I'll be all right," he said.