Former New Orleans Saints quarterback J.T. Barrett was picked up by the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, as first reported by Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Seattle needed another quarterback after Geno Smith underwent treatment for a knee injury, which will keep him out of practice for as much as two weeks.
The Saints signed, waived, and re-signed Barrett 25 times last year, bouncing him on and off of the practice squad in turn to accommodate other signings. He was occasionally spotted in street clothes on the Saints sideline during games in which he wasn’t on the roster, so the team had some sort of arrangement worked out with him. But that must be behind them after Barrett was waived a few days into training camp. Now, Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill are splitting time behind Drew Brees.
Now, the former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback has a real shot at winning the job to back up Russell Wilson. Neither Smith nor Paxton Lynch, the other Seahawks backup, have shown they have what it takes to succeed in the NFL, and Barrett’s chances are as good as anyone else in his position. He should get snaps in training camp practice immediately before making his preseason debut for the Seahawks. Their next preseason game is scheduled for Aug. 18.
