The Seahawks are still working on a long-term extension with Russell Wilson, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the club still doesn’t have a solid backup in place behind the fourth-year quarterback. Tarvaris Jackson has served as Seattle’s No. 2 signal-caller for the past two seasons, and while he and the team have been discussing a new deal, Florio reports that two sides have had trouble determining his value.
The 31-year-old Jackson earned $1.25MM in 2014, which was right around the middle of the pack in terms of backup quarterbacks. But as Florio notes, Wilson’s salary is expected to rise dramatically in 2015, meaning Seattle will have to cut costs at certain positions, and No. 2 QB might be one area where they could look to find some savings. But if the Seahawks want to look internally for a Jackson replacement, they might be out of luck. Besides Wilson, the only other quarterbacks on the roster are B.J. Daniels, a former seventh-round pick and practice squader, and R.J. Archer, who has spent most of his pro time on CFL and AFL rosters.
If Seattle isn’t able to reach an agreement with Jackson, they could look to the free agent market to find a new reserve QB. Interestingly, former Hawk Matt Flynn is available, though I doubt Flynn, who was ultimately traded after losing the starting job to Wilson, would want to return to Seattle. Florio posits that Michael Vick would be an intriguing add for the Seahawks, as he possesses the same sort of mobility that Wilson does, while I would add that fellow FA Tyler Thigpen also has had success as a running quarterback.
Jackson attempted just one pass in 2014 (a completion), but he’s started 34 games during his nine-year career, so he would offer valuable experience in the event Wilson was injured. The Alabama State alum visited the Dolphins last month before they re-signed Matt Moore, and was reportedly discussed internally by the Eagles.