The Seattle Seahawks made another interesting move at quarterback yesterday when they signed former Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers backup P.J. Walker. With Walker now in the mix, Seattle’s quarterback room is entirely made of players who were never drafted by the Seahawks and have all played for other NFL teams.
Clearly, this move is to fill out the open QB3 position. Seattle’s coaching staff has already made it clear Geno Smith is going to be the starter, as he should be this year. He is the most refined at the position and his veteran starting experience gives him a clear edge over his two younger colleagues.
Now we turn our eyes to Sam Howell, the presumptive backup quarterback. The Seahawks traded for Howell, essentially giving a third round pick to acquire him, instead of drafting a quarterback. It seems Seattle has a vested interest in the young man, and it feels unlikely they brought in Walker to be legitimate competition. Perhaps Walker is merely insurance for both Howell and Smith should injuries return once more.
Walker was originally signed by the Indianapolis Colts in 2017, but spent three years as mainly a practice squad player. Walker re-started his NFL career by an impressive showing in the COVID-shortened XLF season in 2020, where he threw 15 touchdowns against only four interceptions.
After that, Walker played three years in Carolina, and one season in Cleveland as mostly a fill-in role for both teams. Walker ultimately accumulated a 5-4 record as a starter, but only has six touchdown passes against 16 interceptions. Obviously, this is not a legitimate starting quarterback level talent for the NFL.
Still, he is more than qualified to be an emergency reserve quarterback behind both Geno Smith and Sam Howell.
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