If the 2022 NFL season were to start today, the Seahawks would roll into their Monday night matchup with the Broncos having Drew Lock and Geno Smith on the gameday roster at quarterback.
At this late hour, there’s not many other options at the sport’s most important position. There are still two veteran QBs who might get traded before the season begins, though: Jimmy Garoppolo and Baker Mayfield. Both have had great moments during their careers but they’re also among the most inconsistent starters in the league. The 49ers aren’t going to trade Garoppolo to a division rival anyway, which basically makes Mayfield the only game left in town as far as potential QB upgrades go.
At least one franchise legend doesn’t like the idea. Former league MVP and Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander had this to say about Mayfield yesterday on the Zach Gelb Show:
“It’s interesting because I feel like Baker Mayfield might, on paper, look a bit better than Drew or Geno. But, I don’t know if there’s a higher ceiling for any of those three guys… If we make a trade, are we willing to lose something that doesn’t have as high of a ceiling? That’d be foolish… To lose picks or people for something with a ceiling that’s not as high, I don’t think that’s the wisest.”
If the Seahawks knew they’d be getting the 2018 and 2020 version of Mayfield it’d be worth it. However, that’s far from a guarantee and last season while playing hurt Mayfield regressed horribly and may have even been the worst QB1 in the NFL outside of Sam Darnold.
Giving up anything for Mayfield as part of a trade seems like a bad idea, but if he gets released Seattle should definitely try to pick him up.
