It’s the least used position on the Seattle Seahawks 53-man roster, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important.
Russell Wilson’s improbable run of not missing a single game will eventually come to an end, and when that happens, Seattle will want to ensure their backup quarterback is ready.
This team has cycled through backups annually for the past few seasons, and with Geno Smith set to hit free agency – and likely looking for a job where he will actually play – it looks like the Seahawks will have another backup again in 2020.
Seattle has primarily looked for veteran free agents who fit the team’s scheme to play behind Wilson, but they also broke the mold in 2018 when they drafted Alex McGough in the seventh round – a sign they may be willing to develop some talent, even if McGough ultimately lost the job and signed elsewhere.
Here are three options, two on the free agent market and one via the draft, Seattle could pursue to backup Wilson in 2020.
Brett Hundley
Hundley is a familiar name to Seahawks fans, having beat out McGough for the backup job in 2018. He was rewarded with exactly zero snaps all season long, as Wilson characteristically played every single down.
Still, Hundley was a schematic fit for the Seahawks, and his familiarity with the system could make him an appealing free agent target.
Hundley played 40 snaps in 2019 with the Cardinals, 32 of them coming against the Seahawks in Week 16 where he completed four of nine passes for 49 yards.
Hundley may opt for a job with more promise of playing time, but Seattle will no doubt reach out to him about returning to the Emerald City – and could use him to learn more about Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense.
Anthony Gordon
Seattle’s selection of McGough in 2018 has opened the door for quarterbacks to get mocked to the Seahawks in the mid to late rounds, although McGough’s eventual release – in favor of the veteran Hundley – was proof the team wasn’t ready to groom a potential replacement.
Wilson’s gargantuan four-year, $140 million dollar contract did a good job of proving that as well, making a 2020 quarterback draft pick seem a tad unlikely.
However, Gordon is a local kid who could catch Pete Carroll’s eye, particularly if he’s around in the later rounds of the draft.
He has mobility and evasiveness in the pocket and has flashed excellent accuracy on intermediate and even longer throws – although arm strength is a question here, as well as decision making.
Seattle likely won’t be the favorite to land the Washington State product, but if the team feels like pursuing a project as their backup, his skill set could be a nice match for this offense while he hones his craft from one of the best.
Marcus Mariota
It’s hard to imagine Mariota willingly taking a backup quarterback job, particularly behind an iron man like Wilson.
If this were to fall into Seattle’s lap, however, they would be thrilled.
Mariota had a really rough 2019 season, losing his starting job on the Titans to Ryan Tannehill and watching him lead them into the playoffs and a pair of upsets – nearly resulting in a Super Bowl appearance.
Now, Mariota will hit free agency in a market that doesn’t have too many openings for starting quarterbacks. The Colts could be in the market, the Chargers if Philip Rivers retires, and possibly the Bears, Panthers and Dolphins as well.
However, if those get filled, either via other free agents or the draft, Mariota may be forced to look for a backup job.
From a fit perspective, Seattle seems like an ideal landing spot. Mariota is from Hawaii and played college at Oregon, so it would be a bit of a hometown reunion. Plus, learning from Wilson would help sharpen Mariota’s skills, which could help him land on his feet in a starting role in the future.
This makes far more sense for Seattle than it does for Mariota, but if his options run dry it could be a really fun pairing Wilson with Mariota in the Emerald City.
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