Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jadeveon Clowney said Sunday he hopes Carson Wentz is OK after the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback was forced out of Sunday's game following a helmet-to-helmet hit.

Clowney dove at Wentz as the quarterback was diving forward for a gain in the first quarter. Wentz, who was making his first career playoff start, left the game after the hit and did not return due to a head injury. Josh McCown took over under centre for the Eagles, who lost Sunday's wild-card game 17-9.

"It was a bang-bang play," Clowney said. "I don't intend to hurt anybody in this league, let me just put that out there. I've been down the injury road; it's not fun. My intention was not to hurt him. I was just playing fast."

Eagle left tackle Jason Peters said he told Clowney on the field that he thought the hit was dirty.

"I checked Clowney about it," Peters said of the hit. "He was mouthing, I was mouthing back at him. ... I just told him, 'Man, that's a dirty play.' And he's like, 'My bad,' and we just kept playing.

"I just kept reminding him, 'Man, stay off my quarterback.'

"I'm a left tackle. I've got his back. I'm the blind side. And I just take it personal when somebody is taking a late hit or trying to rough up the quarterback."

Clowney was not penalized for the hit referee Shawn Smith told a pool reporter that the officials viewed it as legal.

“He was a runner and he did not give himself up. We saw incidental helmet contact, and in our judgment, we didn't rule it a foul,” Smith said.

McCown became oldest quarterback to make his playoff debut when he stepped in for Wentz, but failed to get the Eagles into the endzone with the game on the line. He finished 18 of 24 for 174 yards without a touchdown or an interception.

“I didn't get the job done,” said McCown.

The Seahawks will visit the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.