Updated Jan 16, 2013 - 5:15 pm
Schneider: Seahawks will listen to offers for Flynn
There is still a question at quarterback for the Seahawks even though Russell Wilson has cemented his status as the starter.
Namely: what will they do – if anything – with high-priced backup Matt Flynn?
General manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll have some options.
![]() Seattle's Matt Flynn should draw plenty of interest from quarterback-needy teams this offseason. (AP) |
"I'd be lying to you if I told you that we wouldn't be listening to people," Schneider told "Brock and Salk" Wednesday. "I think we all believe that he's a starter in this league."
That doesn't mean the Seahawks will jump at the first offer.
Flynn is scheduled to make $7.25 million in 2013, the second year of a three-year deal he signed last offseason. But it's not as though Seattle has an untenable amount of money tied up at the position. Russell Wilson is scheduled to make $480,000 in base salary in 2013, and his rookie contract cannot be renegotiated before the end of his third season.
Flynn's salary is high for a backup, but it's not unaffordable – especially considering Seattle has $18.6 million of cap space, according to John Clayton's projections.
"We've structured ourselves in a salary-cap manner where we're in a very good position with him," Schneider said.
Flynn, 27, had made two career starts before signing with Seattle. He appeared in three games last season, all of his playing time coming in mop-up duty. Even though jury is still out on whether he can be a franchise quarterback, the Seahawks have to feel good about the overall strength of the position with Flynn and Wilson.
"Having two quarterbacks like that's pretty special," Schneider said.
The success the Seahawks had with the read option could influence their thinking. Flynn is more of a pocket passer who's not considered a running threat. Might the Seahawks feel better about a backup with enough mobility to run that offense in case Wilson is injured?
"We've talked a lot about that. It would be nice to have another guy that might be able to be a factor that way," coach Pete Carroll told reporters Monday.
In the absence of any glaring needs outside of a pass rusher, and with only two starters set to become unrestricted free agents, the Seahawks' decision on Flynn will be a leading offseason story line.
"We're going to do what's best for the organization, period," Schneider said. "This isn't like, 'Well, now that Russell's done so well, what are you going to do with Matt?' We have two guys under contract that are good."
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Brock Huard has co-hosted the show since 2009. After earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors at Puyallup High School, Brock went on to a record-setting career at Washington and then spent six years in the NFL, including four with the Seahawks. Brock also works for ESPN as a college football analyst in the booth and the studio. He makes his home on the Eastside with his wife Molly and their three young children.
Danny O'Neil, the new co-host of "Brock and Danny", is the son of a logger, a graduate of the University of Washington and has been a working journalist in Seattle since 1999, first at newspapers and since 2012 at 710 ESPN Seattle. He is married to Sharon Pian Chan, associate opinions editor at The Seattle Times. They live on Capitol Hill with their wrinkled, smelly dog.
Tom Wassell has produced the show since 2011 and also co-hosts "Seattle Sports at Night" with Colin Paisley and Matt Pitman. A native of Connecticut, Tom came to 710 ESPN Seattle after working at ESPN Radio's headquarters in Bristol, Conn. for five years. Tom studied communications at Indiana University, is color-blind and has a weak sense of smell.


























