ESPN urges Seahawks to sign boom-or-bust Steelers quarterback

The standard for excellence at the quarterback position in the modern NFL has been set by the Green Bay Packers, who've had either a strong starter or a future Hall of Famer ever since Brett Favre became Brett Favre in the early 90's.

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider came up in the Packers front office, and he says that he believes in that same fundamental philosophy of adding quarterbacks before you need them. That's how they got Russell Wilson when they had Matt Flynn, how they got Geno Smith when they already had Russell Wilson, and so on.

The latest addition in this tradition is Sam Howell, who Seattle traded the equivalent of a seventh-round draft pick for last offseason. Howell only saw about one half of action this past season against Green Bay and didn't exactly impress. There's still time for Howell to live up to his potential, but that doesn't mean the Seahawks shouldn't be in the market for an upgrade at QB2.

ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak agrees, and told Seattle Sports radio recently that if Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields is available at a backup price they should sign him.

ESPN on Seahawks - QB2 options

“Any team that had had a 34- or 35-year-old quarterback — won Super Bowls, didn’t win Super Bowls, whatever — I’d be saying, ‘Hey, you should be making that Sam Howell move that you made... You should be making the Drew Lock move. If Justin Fields is available for QB2 money, go make that move. (Smith) is 35. That is just the nature of the position."

nfl — BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Justin Fields #2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers stands on the sidelines during the national anthem prior to an NFL football wild card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. | (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

This tracks with what we have believed since the season ended - that Justin Fields is likely the best quarterback that the Seahawks have a realistic chance of adding this offseason in an admittedly dry quarterback market, both in the free agent and draft classes.

By now Fields' flaws are well-known to most NFL fans. His passing is still very raw by pro standards and he has a lot to learn yet abou reading the field. That being said, Fields' ceiling remains about as high as it was when he came out of Ohio State as the best QB prospect to come along in years. He's arguably the best rushing quarterback in the game not named Lamar Jackson - and with a little more time and the right coaching he may yet grow his arm talent into something special.

Fields should not be considered a potential upgrade over their current starter and should not be paid established starter money, but the Seahawks do have to start thinking about life after Geno Smith - even if they intend to extent his contract beyond the 2025 season. For now, Fields looks a lot better than the QBs they'll be in range to draft this year and aside from Sam Darnold he's easily the best free agent option.

If Fields is allowed to hit the market Schneider shouldn't hesitate to call his agent and see if they can work out a fair deal for a high-end backup.

ESPN urges Seahawks to sign boom-or-bust Steelers quarterback - on one condition

ESPN on Seahawks - QB2 options

More Seahawks on SI stories