Who Could Seattle Seahawks Sign as Third-String QB on Practice Squad?

No NFL team wants to have a third-string quarterback playing on Sundays, but the Seahawks must be proactive finding insurance behind Geno Smith and Sam Howell.

Aug 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback PJ Walker (15) gives instructions to his team in the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Casey Gower-USA TODAY Sports / Casey Gower-USA TODAY Sports

Rolling into the 2024 season, the Seattle Seahawks feel quite good about the state of their quarterback room with two-time Pro Bowler Geno Smith back under center and Sam Howell arriving as an upgrade in the backup role.

But in today's NFL, as teams such as the Vikings, Browns, and Jets learned the hard way last year when starters went down to significant injuries, it's critical to have a viable third quarterback option either on the active roster or on the practice squad. After terminating the contract of veteran PJ Walker in final roster cuts, the Seahawks currently do not have a third signal caller in the building, and it's a guarantee general manager John Schneider and the team's scouting department aren't leaving any stones unturned looking at options to fill that vacancy.

With one opening on the practice squad still remaining, who would be the best fit for Seattle to sign as an insurance policy and/or development quarterback behind Smith and Howell? Here are four candidates who would make great sense to add to the equation under center:

PJ Walker

Stating the obvious, Walker stands out as the safest play for the Seahawks to bring back into the fold since he spent training camp and the preseason with the team and already knows Ryan Grubb's offense. He also has started nine regular season games in his career with the Panthers and Browns, which gives him an experience advantage over most other options available to sign as a third quarterback. From that standpoint, he's a quality insurance policy in case injuries strike and has proven he can step in and help lead an offense if needed.

But after a solid start to camp, the reality is that Walker did not play well this past month for Seattle, completing just 53.6 percent of his pass attempts for 147 yards and a poor 5.3 yards per attempt in the preseason. In his defense, he spent exhibition season playing behind third and fourth-string offensive linemen, which led to an ugly 33.3 percent pressure rate on drop backs, making it more difficult to evaluate him compared to Smith or Howell. Still, he's never been known for accuracy with a career completion rate under 55 percent and at 29 years of age, he's a high floor, low ceiling backup at this stage who may not have much room left to develop.

Desmond Ridder

Life comes at you fast in the NFL, and in the case of Ridder, that's been anything but a positive. Only two years ago, the Falcons invested a third-round pick in him viewing him as a potential franchise quarterback and by the end of his rookie season, he had taken over under center for Marcus Mariota, throwing for 708 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in four promising starts, turning that audition into a starting gig in 2023.

Unfortunately, Ridder struggled mightily in 15 games, throwing 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions before eventually being benched in favor of journeyman Taylor Heinicke. Atlanta traded him to Arizona during the offseason, pitting him against Clayton Tune for the right to back up starter Kyler Murray. He didn't fare well in the competition, completing under 58 percent of his pass attempts in the preseason and clearly getting outplayed by Tune, leading to his release.

Still just 24 years old, Ridder has flashed for brief moments in his young NFL career, but he also has regressed in the turnover department and his accuracy hasn't been as good as advertised coming out of Cincinnati. It's possible learning behind Smith and Howell in Grubb's offense could unlock some of the potential teams saw in the pre-draft process two years ago and there's still a ton of untapped upside here, but he's now clearly a major reclamation project who needs help getting his confidence back.

Tyler Huntley

Earning the nickname "Snoop," Huntley brings some junkyard dog with him to the quarterback position, which endeared him to teammates in Baltimore when he had to step in for an injured Lamar Jackson multiple times over the past four seasons. In limited action, though he only threw eight touchdowns compared to seven interceptions, his ability to create as a runner and complete close to 65 percent of his pass attempts kept the Ravens in games, allowing them to still make the playoffs in 2022 despite Jackson being sidelined.

Aug 24, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Tyler Huntley (10) looks to pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

After Baltimore opted not to bring Huntley back, he joined a crowded quarterback room in Cleveland where he served as the fourth stringer during the preseason. Still struggling occasionally with poor decision making, he threw a pair of ugly interceptions earlier this month against Minnesota, but he also demonstrated an improved proficiency as a downfield passer, including launching a 46-yard touchdown pass against Seattle in the exhibition finale. Overall, he threw three touchdowns in that game with no turnovers and completed north of 77 percent of his passes, putting great play on film for the Seahawks staff to evaluate.

With nearly as many starts as Walker under his belt and better production across the board, Huntley may be the most intriguing backup signal caller available who still has enough growth potential to start somewhere down the line. Just 26 years old, the Browns likely will try to bring him back on their own practice squad, but after seeing him play at his best to close out the preseason, the Seahawks would be smart to look into the possibility of bringing him out west.

Jaren Hall

Drafted in the fifth round out of BYU last year, the Vikings thrust Hall into game action after starter Kirk Cousins suffered an Achilles injury. As expected, the rookie endured some struggles in three games with a pair of starts, completing 13 out of 20 passes with no touchdowns and an interception. He also wasn't overly successful running the ball either, rushing for just 14 yards on six carries and fumbling twice.

On the older side for a second-year player, the 26-year old Hall took a significant step forward during the preseason for Minnesota, taking advantage of his opportunities to play extensive snaps after rookie J.J. McCarthy was lost for the season to a torn meniscus. Shining in three exhibition games, he tossed four touchdowns and no interceptions while averaging 7.4 yards per attempt, and those numbers could have been even better if not for four dropped passes by receivers. Despite those improvements, the team opted to keep Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens over him, waiving Hall on Thursday.

A capable passer with underrated athletic ability, Hall has some quality traits to continue developing as a third-string practice squad quarterback. Ridder and Huntley offer far more experience and quite frankly have higher ceilings, but this would be a sound addition by the Seahawks to bring him into the mix and see what Grubb can do with him while allowing him to use his talents as a scout team signal caller on the practice field.