Conspiracy Corner: Sorry, Charlie

This edition of Conspiracy Corner will examine the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback situation. For all of you wishing and hoping that Charlie Whitehurst plays on Sunday if Tarvaris Jackson continues to struggle, I have news for you.

It ain’t gonna happen.

No way, no how. Tarvaris Jackson is, and in all likelihood, will continue to be the Seahawks’ starting quarterback for the rest of the season. An injury is the only circumstance under which Whitehurst will see the field for the foreseeable future. Even if the Seahawks are down by four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, Jackson will still finish the game.

Whitehurst’s contract expires at the end of this season, while Jackson is signed through 2012. The team doesn’t want to waste time dealing with a quarterback controversy when their main objective is to do poorly enough to select their new franchise QB in the next draft. There are several other players/positions that they want to focus on going into next season.

The main reason Whitehurst will not play, though, is because Pete Carroll simply doesn’t want Whitehurst to play. Carroll had several opportunities to give Whitehurst playing time LAST season and chose not to do so. The game at San Francisco last December is the most glaring example of this. The Seahawks were trailing 40-7 late in the third quarter. Matt Hasselbeck had committed five turnovers (4 interceptions, 1 fumble). If there was ever a time to play the backup QB, this was it. Yet Hasselbeck finished the game. The only non-injury related playing time Whitehurst played last season was against Atlanta. It was done not to see what Whitehurst could do, but to spare Hasselbeck the embarrassment of possibly being booed off his home turf after his third quarter meltdown.

One of the reasons the Seahawks decided not to re-sign Hasselbeck is because there is no chance he would stay healthy for the entire season. Hasselbeck has been injury prone the last few years. He could not be expected to remain healthy behind the most inexperienced offensive line in decades. Hasselbeck would also balk at having to surrender his starting role to a rookie, no matter how talented the player is.

Also, if he were to somehow remain able to play, Hasselbeck was crafty enough to possibly win five or six games this season. That scenario is unacceptable to team management. The future of the franchise is predicated on the Seahawks being able to draft either Andrew Luck or Matt Barkley.

It’s a future that doesn’t involve Charlie Whitehurst. It doesn’t matter how badly Tarvaris Jackson plays. Do not expect to see Whitehurst warming up. You can boo all you want; it won’t do any good. Sorry, Charlie.