The Philadelphia Eagles were forced to turn to Josh McCown at quarterback early on against the Seattle Seahawks after starter Carson Wentz suffered a head injury in the NFC wild-card clash.

Wentz was hurt while running the ball during the first quarter of Sunday's NFL playoff game, having taken a blow to the back of his helmet from Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

McCown came in for Philadelphia's next possession, with the Eagles announcing on Twitter that Wentz – making his postseason debut – was being evaluated, listing him as "questionable to return".

The 40-year-old back-up is with his ninth team in an NFL career that started back in 2002. He had announced his retirement after spending the previous two seasons with the New York Jets, only to be tempted back by the Eagles.

Wentz sat out Philadelphia's playoff run in 2017, his second season in the league, after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the regular season.

In his absence, Nick Foles steered the franchise to their first Super Bowl triumph, as they beat the New England Patriots 41-33 in Minnesota.