Before the season begins, the Seahawks will have to name their starting quarterback. Prior to the draft, it looked like it would be between Tarvaris Jackson and Matt Flynn. You can now throw third round pick Russell Wilson in the fray. Pete Carroll told the team’s website, “He showed us enough. He’s in the competition. That is going to tax us, as we know. It was already going to be taxing with two, but he’s shown us enough that we need to see where he fits in with these guys.”
To the Seahawks credit, they’re making every attempt to find the right guy to lead their team. Too often we see teams stick with a starter long after it’s apparent to everyone outside of that locker room that the backup is the guy that should be starting on gameday. Still, teams need one starting quarterback, not three, and quarterback controversies often follow on the heels of fierce open competitions.
It would be easy for the Seahawks to pass on allowing Wilson in on the mix, but I would argue that he’s actually the most logical guy to win the job. He’s fresh out of college, and the Seahawks don’t look like a legitimate challenger to the 49ers stranglehold on the NFC West. If there was ever a time to start fresh, it would be right now, and Wilson could be the long-term starter. That being said, selecting Wilson as the starter could be seen as conceding the 2012 season, something no fan wants to see from their own team.
Usually, three horse races don’t last long. By the time the preseason actually rolls around, the Seahawks will probably be down to two competitors. Tarvaris Jackson has the most to lose in this situation. It’s highly unlikely that the Seahawks would carry 3 quarterbacks on their roster into the regular season, and if Jackson doesn’t win the starting job, he would likely be the guy to be cut. Matt Flynn has proven that he’s a solid backup option, while Jackson has remained largely inconsistent at best over the course of his career.
And so it’s the Seahawks that provide us with one of the greatest spectacles in the NFL offseason, an open quarterback competition.
