Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Seahawks recently signed veteran quarterback Tarvaris Jackson to compete with Brady Quinn for the job as backup quarterback behind starter Russell Wilson, but which of the two has the advantage in this battle? I say Jackson does.
Obviously, Jackson has the edge in terms of familiarity with the team as well as the team’s offense, as he was the starting quarterback for Seattle during the 2011 season. He is also very familiar with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell even before his time in Seattle when both were with the Minnesota Vikings. During his time in Seattle, Jackson developed somewhat of a nice rapport with current Seattle wide receivers Sidney Rice and Doug Baldwin, which could prove very valuable if anything happens to Russell Wilson this season.
But aside from his connections, Jackson is a better fit for the job because of his style of play. Brady Quinn isn’t really a good fit for the read-option offense that Seattle runs due to his lack of speed. That’s not to say that Jackson is any kind of burner in the speed department, though. Jackson may not have the same speed as Russell Wilson, but he does possess some agility and elusiveness in the pocket, which is a big plus given Seattle offensive line’s inability to give its quarterbacks adequate time in passing situations.
Jackson’s big arm is another reason he should land the job, as Seattle is planning on throwing the deep ball more frequently this season. Though he struggles with his accuracy at times, very few NFL quarterbacks have a better arm than Tarvaris Jackson.
Whichever player the Seahawks coaches decide to give the job to probably won’t matter much to Seahawks fans, as long as they don’t have to see them enter a game for Russell Wilson.
Follow Connor Hutyler on Twitter @ConnorHutyler.
