5 best backup quarterbacks in Seattle Seahawks history

Seahawks backup QB No. 4: Jon Kitna

Jon Kitna picked up where Freisz left off, literally. In fact, the two overlapped in 1997 and 1998. Both quarterbacks backed up Warren Moon during those seasons. The difference is that Kitna began his career as an undrafted free agent with Seattle while Friesz was several years into his career when he joined the Seahawks. Plus. Kitna was the better of the two quarterbacks.

Kitna was a strong-armed quarterback who played at a small college, Central Washington. He didn't expect to be drafted and wasn't, even though he had the physical skill to play in the NFL. Kitna was signed after Seahawks head coach Dennis Erickson went to the school to give his nephew a tryout and Kitna was the quarterback throwing the passes.

In Kitna's first season with Seattle, he played in only three games but started one of them. Erickson didn't hold him back either as Kitna went 23 of 37 for 283 yards in a 22-21 Seahawks victory over the Raiders. 1998 was the season that was a turning point, though, for the future of Kitna.

Seattle, the example of mediocrity in the 1990s had another 8-8 season in 1998 and Warren Moon began as the starter at quarterback. But when Moon was injured, Kitna started the final five games of the season and Seattle went 3-2 in those starts. Kitna threw 7 touchdown passes versus 7 interceptions in those starts, but Kitna proved he could lead an offense. In 1999, Kitna was named the full-time starter for Seattle and did that in 1999 and 2000. Kitna left Seattle after 2000 and bounced around the league a bit, but lasted through the 2011 season and finished with 29,745 career passing yards and 124 starts.