QB Matt Flynn to start for Seahawks, Jackson could sit out

The Seattle Seahawks have announced that QB Matt Flynn will be the starting quarterback in their game this week against the Tennessee Titans. Rookie QB Russell Wilson will be the second quarterback off the bench and there is a chance that veteran QB Tarvaris Jackson could sit out the entire game. After acquiring Flynn via free agency, many expected that he would be handed the starting job in Seattle, but the race has heated up with even rookie Russell Wilson reportedly in the mix for the starting nod.

It’s hard to imagine that the Seahawks would hand over $26 million in a contract to Flynn and then have him sit on the bench. Either head coach Pete Carroll is setting up the biggest smokescreen in NFL history, or the race is just that close. If indeed the race is just that close, you have to wonder about the wisdom of signing Flynn in the first place.

The biggest red flag for me was the fact that the Miami Dolphins passed on him. The Dolphins needed a quarterback this year and at the start of free agency, rookie head coach Joe Philbin could have signed Flynn. No coach in the league knew Flynn better than Philbin having worked together while in Green Bay. Flynn would have an intimate knowledge of the offense the Dolphins were set to run in 2012, but the team passed on him, citing that he wanted too much money.

Fantasy implications- I read nothing into this move to get Flynn and Wilson significant playing time other than the coaching staff wants to evaluate what they have in the pair. The Seahawks already know what they have in Jackson. This move does nothing for my fantasy draft board, as I am not selecting any of the three, not even for a backup quarterback. There is too much risk with selecting a Seattle quarterback, even when they do name a starter. If the starter struggles, there will likely be a short leash and you could see a variety of starters for Seattle this season.