After signing Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract in free agency last month, Seattle reunited with backup QB Drew Lock<\/a> this past week. Lock, who was the Seahawks\u2019 backup in 2022 and 2023, agreed to a two-year, $5 million deal with Seattle after spending last season with the New York Giants.<\/p>\n With Lock back in the fold, that gives the Seahawks three QBs with at least 18 career starts: Darnold (73), Lock (28) and 2024 backup Sam Howell (18). Jaren Hall, who remains on Seattle\u2019s roster after spending most of last year on the practice squad, also made two career starts with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023.<\/p>\n During his weekly conversation Thursday on Seattle Sports, Seahawks general manager John Schneider addressed the Lock signing publicly for the first time since it was reported last Friday.<\/p>\n Schneider said signing Lock \u201cdoesn\u2019t preclude\u201d the team from adding another quarterback in next week\u2019s NFL Draft. He also said the current expectation is for Lock and Howell to compete for the backup job behind Darnold.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a great situation,\u201d Schneider said. \u201cWe have four guys that we really like. \u2026 It doesn\u2019t preclude us from doing anything in the draft either, in figuring out what\u2019s going on there. It\u2019s really like an, \u2018OK, let\u2019s get this in the mix.\u2019 Drew had other opportunities, so we figured we better wrap this up, kind of put a bow on it, get him in the building and then let\u2019s see what happens in the draft, because it\u2019s difficult to find that great fit at quarterback as you move through the process.<\/p>\n \u201cSo really excited to have all four of those guys. To have Sam Howell and Drew kind of competing for that second spot is a pretty good deal for us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018He\u2019s loved in this building\u2019<\/p>\n Lock, a 2019 second-round pick by the Denver Broncos, spent his first three seasons in the Mile High City before arriving in Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson trade in March 2022.<\/p>\n Lock then spent the next two seasons backing up former Seahawks QB Geno Smith, which included two starts in 2023 when Smith was sidelined with an injury. In the latter of those two starts, Lock led a dramatic game-winning drive against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.<\/p>\n Lock to JSN for the lead!<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa: #PHIvsSEA<\/a> on ESPN\/ABC \u2014 NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n Lock signed with the Giants last offseason in hopes of earning their starting job, but ended up making just five starts.<\/p>\n Schneider said he and Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald met with Lock a few weeks ago while they were in Florida for the NFL owners\u2019 meetings.<\/p>\n \u201cDrew wanted to come back,\u201d Schneider said. \u201cHe\u2019s loved in this building. He had a great experience here. He had an opportunity to have a better (chance) to start with the Giants last year, so he took that opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be able to get him back in this building and to have three guys on the roster that \u2026 have 42 (combined) starts in the last two years and 119 total, that\u2019s pretty cool. You can dress three guys (on gamedays), and we like Jaren Hall a lot too.\u201d<\/p>\n What does this mean for Howell?<\/p>\n With Lock back in Seattle, the big question is what that means for Howell\u2019s future with the franchise. Howell, who arrived in a trade with the Washington Commanders last offseason, has one year left on his rookie deal.<\/p>\n Howell, who started all 17 games for the Commanders in 2023, had a disastrous showing during his only extended action last season. After Smith went down with an injury in a primetime game against the Green Bay Packers, Howell came in and completed just 5 of 14 passes for 24 yards and an interception, while also taking four sacks.<\/p>\n According to ESPN\u2019s Benjamin Solak<\/a>, it marked just the 20th time in the past 25 seasons that an NFL quarterback had completed five or fewer passes while taking at least 19 dropbacks in a game.<\/p>\n \u201cSam was put in a very hard spot last year,\u201d Schneider said. \u201cHe comes in, he\u2019s learning a new system \u2026 that was heavy, heavy dropback and gets thrown into the game where we\u2019re behind. We\u2019re throwing the ball every play (and are) backed up. It didn\u2019t go well for him. He would admit that, probably from a preparation standpoint too.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he wasn\u2019t put in a great spot. And I think all of us, Sam included, would say, OK, last year\u2019s just a wash, man. Let\u2019s put that aside. Let\u2019s get back in a pro-style system, a proven system, because he can move.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: What does Drew Lock return mean for Sam Howell\u2019s Seahawks future?<\/a><\/p>\n Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley, who joined Schneider for this week\u2019s appearance on Seattle Sports, also highlighted the \u201cdeceptive mobility\u201d of all four quarterbacks and how that fits with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak\u2019s scheme.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s well documented that (Lock) played his best football in a version of this system,\u201d Teasley said. \u201cAnd we\u2019re all excited to see both Sams in this system, (with) the ability to deliver accurately on the move. (They have) deceptive mobility, all of them. So it\u2019s really about just filling that room with competition.\u201d<\/p>\n Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft coverage<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Seahawks Draft Targets: Alabama\u2019s Kalen DeBoer on his top prospects<\/a>
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