Breaking: Seahawks sign new quarterback

admin | June 14, 2024 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Seattle’s newest QB addition was the XFL’s leading passer in the shortened 2020 season.

The Seattle Seahawks have a new quarterback on the roster.

P.J. Walker is returning to town following spells with the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, and the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL.

The Temple product began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts, but he never made the roster. He detoured to the XFL before joining the Panthers for three seasons and the Browns in 2023.

Walker had an amazing, albeit brief, stint in the XFL, where he was the league’s best passer through five games in 2020 before the pandemic cut the season short and forced him back to the NFL.

Walker’s realistic objective as he joins Seattle’s roster in a QB room alongside Geno Smith and Sam Howell would be to fight out Howell for the backup quarterback position behind Smith.

Walker Was 5-0 and Leading The XFL in Passing Yards in 2020

Walker has since had brief stints with the Panthers and Browns in backup roles

Walker has already settled in Seattle, where he will sit behind starter Geno Smith and Sam Howell. The Seahawks released Chevan Cordeiro earlier this year.

#Seahawks deal for P.J. Walker: one year, $1.145 million total, $1.125 million salary, $20,000 roster bonus, $985,000 salary cap figure on veteran salary benefit

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) June 13, 2024

Walker’s base salary will be $1.125 million in 2024, but he is also a vested veteran. He is eligible for the veteran wage benefit because he is a vested veteran with four or more accrued seasons and has signed a contract that pays him the veteran minimum basic salary plus no more than $167,500 in bonuses or incentives. So, just $985K will be counted against the Seahawks’ salary cap.

He does have a $20,000 roster bonus, but it does not count against the cap unless he earns it — and the Seahawks have structured it so that he is unlikely to do so.

Walker may be a backup, but he has started at least one game in each of the previous four seasons and has appeared in 21 games overall.

Walker’s signing adds another veteran to the Seahawks’ quarterback room alongside Smith. Sam Howell has appeared in 18 games with the Washington Commanders, starting one game in 2022 and the remaining 17 in 2023. But he’s still relatively young, with only two seasons under his belt.

Walker, by contrast, has played in twice as many NFL seasons, and he had his five-game stint in the XFL. Even though he’s only played in three more games than Howell, he’s had two extra seasons of NFL practices and coaching under his belt.

How does this affect Seattle’s new offense?

The Seahawks are retooling their offense. Drew Lock, a quarterback, has joined the New York Giants. Shane Waldron, last season’s offensive coordinator, accepted the same position with the Chicago Bears. Pete Carroll, the former head coach, has moved up to an executive position.

So, with Walker and Howell backing up Smith, the Seahawks have two younger quarterbacks with starting experience, one of whom is now a veteran. They have a youthful head coach in Mike McDonald and a new offensive coordinator in Ryan Grubb, who moved over from the nearby University of Washington and appears enthusiastic about the offense’s potential.

It obviously helps to have receivers like D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

The Seahawks now have two trustworthy arms to fall back on if Smith is injured or plays poorly. The backup quarterback can be nearly as crucial as the starter, so Seattle has a good insurance policy in place.

Not only that, but the wage cap hit is fair.

It’s not clear if the Seahawks can improve on 2023’s 9-8 record, but the team appears to be working to shore up the roster wherever it can. That’s a good idea in any season, but especially when installing a new offense under the watch of a new head coach and new offensive coordinator.