COVID-19 Makes Seahawks Backup QB Competition Moot

As much as some have tried to maintain optimism, COVID-19 is still running rampant through the US, threatening the lives of millions as well as the upcoming NFL season. But an unattended consequence could play before our eyes with the Seahawks.

The NFL has treated the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic more on the "business as usual" side of things than any other major sport. Think about what they have accomplished during a time where all other major sports had to shut down their leagues. They have negotiated a new CBA, had a fairly normal free agency period, and held the NFL Draft, all without delay.

But now, just three weeks out from the first days of training camp as scheduled, things are starting to get real, threatening the possibility of a season happening at all.

So real, in fact, that we may be headed towards an MLB-style labor dispute between the NFLPA and the NFL. On Tuesday, the NFL floated the idea that they want to put 35 percent of players' salaries in escrow to protect against potential revenue losses. To say the players were less than thrilled with the idea is an understatement.

But there's another area of labor unrest that could be even more significant: potential cancellation of the NFL preseason. The league announced last weekend that they have canceled two preseason games, going from the usual four preseason games down to two. Players are asking the NFL to knock that down two more games, asking for no preseason games at all, in order to allow for a longer ramp-up period after not having any OTAs as there would be in a normal offseason.

There will be plenty said about this debate, from player safety to lost revenue streams and everything in between. But a lack of preseason action likely guarantees one thing on the Seahawks roster: Geno Smith will be the backup quarterback. 

Now, to be fair, this was almost certainly going to be the case either way. After all, with no rookie minicamp, Smith's top competition, Anthony Gordon, wouldn't have gotten himself in front of the coaching staff until late July, where he would be left trying to pick up the scraps of practice reps left by Russell Wilson.

Because Gordon never got a chance to run the offense in practice and may not get to run it in any games, it will be next to impossible for him to supplant the more experienced Smith. In addition to the lack of reps in a shortened preseason, Gordon faces another barrier in his path due to COVID-19.

The NFL has set up protocols that can make any player who test positive for COVID sit out at least one game and in all practicality, it will be at least two games until the player has a shot at playing again. This makes a more experienced player like Smith, a more valuable asset as a short-term insurance policy, nerfing the significant upside advantage Gordon has over Smith.

Think about it this way: what if, heaven forbid, Wilson came down with the virus? The Seahawks play in an extremely difficult NFC West division. The team won't likely be in a position where they can punt two games and still make the playoffs. So who should they turn to? The veteran in year two of the same offense with 31 career starts? Or the undrafted rookie who appeared in just 15 games at Washington State?

Down the road, Gordon may be Wilson's backup of the future, but the cards were already stacked against him. No preseason action will act as the final nail in the coffin for the rookie's odds to win the backup job. It is an unfortunate consequence for him and a positive development career-wise for Smith, who should once again maintain clipboard duty on the sidelines.