SEATTLE -- Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said Tuesday a doctor has not cleared him to play because of a leg problem stemming from bulging disk in his back.
Hasselbeck told Seattle's KIRO Radio he does not need surgery. He said he failed tests in Los Angeles and was unable to walk on his heels. He says there's no pain in his back or right leg, just a "dead leg" feeling.
"Just got a weakness in my leg," he said. "Because of the disk issue in my back that nerve is shutting off the muscles that are supposed to work in your leg."
He plans to keep working on strength and conditioning and is confident he'll get better.
"Most of it is just frustration, mental and trying to stay positive, and just realizing, hey, it's going to be all right," he told KIRO. "There are far worse things."
It appears Hasselbeck will miss his fourth consecutive game when the Seahawks (2-5) play the Eagles (4-3) Sunday in Seattle.
Backup Seneca Wallace is preparing for another start. He completed 15 of 25 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown and did not turn the ball over in a 34-13 win over the 49ers Sunday. A week earlier, he went 12-for-23 for just 73 yards with an interception in a loss at Tampa Bay.
Hasselbeck has been out since hyperextending his knee Oct. 5 and continuing to play two more quarters in the 44-6 loss at the New York Giants.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
