The Seahawks may be without quarterback Russell Wilson for 4-8 weeks. Geno Smith is the presumed starter but Seattle needs to bring in another QB as well. Mind you, at this point in the season there aren’t going to be any quarterbacks near the ability of Wilson but there aren’t overall in the NFL anyway.
Multiple reports have Wilson missing several games (Seattle has three games left before their bye week so if Wilson misses four weeks then he will only miss three games) after having surgery on the middle finger of his right hand. Wilson injured the finger when he was throwing a pass and in the follow-through hit defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s wrist. Wilson stayed in for one more drive and then left the game for good.
In Wilson’s absence, backup Geno Smith came in and led the Seahawks to 10 fourth quarter points. Smith did throw an interception on his third drive of the game but it was more than receiver Tyler Lockett tripped on the play rather than Smith throwing a truly bad pass. Overall, Smith looked solid and appeared to be in total control of the offense.
Seahawks need to find a replacement at QB for Russell Wilson
But assuming Smith can run the offense consistently well based on the performance of one quarter of one game is a leap of faith. Heck, even Russell Wilson seemed to have some issues running Shane Waldron’s offense but Wilson can overcome some struggles through talent. No offense to Geno Smith but he is not as talented as Russell Wilson.
The Seahawks need to find another quarterback, at least for a month or two who can come in if Smith falters or gets injured himself. Here are three that could step in.
Robert Griffin III
Yes, I know. Griffin III hasn’t ever lived up the expectations most had for him when he was drafted second overall in the 2012 NFL draft. A lot of this might be attributed to his numerous leg injuries. And some of Griffin’s issues might not be as accurate a passer as the NFL requires in today’s game. But Griffin still has athletic ability and a strong arm.
Even after all his leg injuries, when he has played in limited snaps he has shown the ability to move around. Last year with the Ravens, Griffin ran 12 times and averaged 5.8 yards a carry. He is mobile enough to run Waldron’s offense which requires a quarterback to run when available when a play breaks down.
I am not saying Griffin is nearly as good as Wilson but he also isn’t a quarterback that can only drop back and stand around looking for a receiver to get open while the pressure is barring down on him. Griffin can escape pressure and the Seattle line is still not good enough to be counted on to pass-block to near-perfection.
Griffin also still wants to play and even though it seems he has been around for 50 years is still just 31 years old. He isn’t a great quarterback but he might be just good enough to get Seattle a win or two to keep the season alive.
Blake Bortles
I can hear your groans from here. Bortles was only decent when he was with the Jaguars because the Jacksonville defense was so good in his time there, right? He isn’t really able to win games on his own, if needed, correct? The last two might be true but if the Seahawks were to sign Bortles for a short time with Russell Wilson out, Bortles would at least bring a lot of starting experience with him.
Plus, Bortles is actually pretty athletic. I bring up athleticism on this list of Russell Wilson replacements because any quarterback behind the Seahawks offensive line and in Shane Waldron’s offense must be able to run to some degree. Whether that means escaping pressure or just a designed run. Bortles has rushed 283 times in his career and has averaged 6.2 yards a carry.
Bortles also has 73 starts in the NFL so he shouldn’t be intimidated coming into a game. While he used to throw one too many interceptions, his interceptions totals went down each season as a starter from 2015 to 2018 (Bortles last year as a full-time starter in the league). Bortles spent time with the Rams in 2019 so Waldron should know what to expect from him.
So while Bortles isn’t going to win the Seahawks games on his own, he is still decent enough to get snaps and lead an offense with the weapons that Seattle has at receiver and tight end. In Jacksonville, the tight ends were targeted much more than Will Dissly and Gerald Everett have been this year and the running backs were used as receiving threats more too. Having a QB that knows how to involve everyone in the offense is a good thing.
Alex Smith
I want to throw out a few things here before I get into why Alex Smith to Seattle would be a good thing. First, Geno Smith deserves the chance to start whatever games Russell Wilson misses. He knows Waldron’s system and looked good against the Rams.
Second, I don’t have Cam Newton on this list. I don’t think Newton would come back just to be a short-time starter (maybe) and his sometimes eccentricities might not fit in the Seattle locker room.
And thirdly, I don’t have Colin Kaepernick on this list either even though that would be great. Kaepernick hasn’t played since 2016 and Seattle doesn’t have time for him to acclimate himself back to the NFL.
All that said, Alex Smith would be a great fit for Seattle. Smith is a winner. The last time he quarterbacked a team that had a losing season was 2010. His career mark as a starter is 99-67-1. And he doesn’t turn the ball over. Take away his first two years in the NFL (2005 and 2006) and his career interception rate falls to 1.8 percent per pass attempt, the same as Russell Wilson’s.
Smith obviously had a horrific leg injury but he overcame that to play again. The only reason he retired is that no team showed real interest in having a 37-year-old quarterback be their starter. But this is a special circumstance. Smith is a smart player, runs an offense without turning the ball over and, despite his leg injury, can still move around in the pocket pretty well.