Seahawks Scouting XFL MVP Front-Runner P.J. Walker

With Russell Wilson as the only quarterback on the roster at the moment, the Seahawks are doing their due diligence searching all avenues for backup options.

Prior to Saturday's matchup between the Seattle Dragons and Houston Roughnecks, ESPN announcer Steve Levy indicated the Seahawks had scouts in attendance to check out XFL MVP front-runner P.J. Walker.

Walker, who turned 25 last month, has been the poster child for the upstart league through four weeks of play. Entering Saturday's Week 5 contest, he had thrown a league-best 12 touchdown passes and posted a 105.0 passer rating. Additionally, he'd proven to be a dual-threat, rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown.

Trailing 14-6 at the time of this post, Walker tossed his 13th touchdown in front of Seattle's scouts, connecting on a 50-yard strike with speedy slot receiver Nick Holley to help Houston trim the deficit to eight points.

Going undrafted out of Temple in 2017, Walker spent two years on the Colts practice squad behind Andrew Luck and Jacoby Brissett. After the team signed Brian Hoyer to back up Brissett last season, he was released during final roster cuts and didn't latch on with another team.

Seattle has had a different backup quarterback f consecutive seasons and could enter 2020 with a new clipboard holder behind Wilson again. Geno Smith, who served the role last season, is an unrestricted free agent.

From a scheme fit, the Seahawks' apparent interest in Walker makes a ton of sense. While Wilson has never missed a start in his eight prior seasons, if he did go down with an injury, the former Owls star would offer the mobility and accuracy to step in and run the team's offense without any hitches.

Walker will be eligible to sign with any NFL team after the Roughnecks season concludes. With the franchise remaining undefeated, they have established themselves as the favorite to win the first XFL championship, which means he might not be available until late April after the draft.

As the XFL aims for sustainability, maintaining stars like Walker will be crucial. It will interesting to see if the young quarterback jumps at the chance to compete for a backup job in the NFL again or chooses to stay in the other league until a starting opportunity presents itself.