NFL Free Agency Rumors: 12 Teams That Could Sign Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck is the best quarterback in Seattle Seahawks history. Yes, despite that whole “We want the ball and we’re gonna score” fiasco.
During his prime in Seattle, he displayed fine arm strength, accuracy and playmaking abilities as he almost brought a Super Bowl championship to the franchise. He always displayed excellent professionalism, poise and leadership—he truly became the face of the franchise.
One could easily make the case that he has been a top-10 quarterback in this new millennium. Unfortunately, in recent years, he has been anything but.
He has been frequently injured and his mobility is waning. Even worse, Pete Carroll seems destined to head in a different direction with a youth movement, which means his time in Seattle could be coming to an end. He is currently a free agent and speculation is running rampant on where we could see the Seahawks great end his career.
Luckily for him, there is a strong market for a veteran quarterback this offseason. We would have to jot down nearly all 32 teams in the league who could sign Hasselbeck, but we’ve narrowed it down to just the 12 teams he could legitimately start for on Opening Day.
12. Oakland Raiders
1 of 12
You can never rule out the wacky Al Davis from signing any player. Jason Campbell is a decent quarterback, but I’d still give Matt Hasselbeck the nod here. He is the superior game manager with better arm accuracy and leadership.
This is a young team that desperately needs a “father figure” and leader in the locker room. It is an upcoming organization with a superstar runner in Darren McFadden and a revamped offensive line following the draft. Hasselbeck has worked with similarly mediocre receiving units in the past. He still has just enough arm strength, accuracy and poise to make them productive.
Hasselbeck would be able to compete for a starting job, win it and help guide this upstart team in the right direction.
11. Denver Broncos
2 of 12
A surprise on this list following the high praise and endorsement John Elway recently had for Tim Tebow. Denver will most likely attempt to trade Kyle Orton when transactions resume, leaving the Broncos with the need of a veteran quarterback to help guide young Tebow.
Following the draft, though, John Fox and Elway have completely rebuilt this defense. This is a defensive unit now with a great mix of veteran and young, mature players that can actually compete for a division title.
I’m a firm believer in Tebow’s abilities, but even recent greats like Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers sat to learn the game and hone their craft. If Fox and Elway believe Hasselbeck is the veteran they need to compete this season for the AFC West, Tebow will be forced to sit and play in certain packages for another year.
Fox surprised many when he took the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl with Jake Delhomme—we could see it happen with a different team and a different veteran if this defense plays up to its potential with a game-managing veteran like Matt.
10. Seattle Seahawks
3 of 12
You didn’t think we’d leave off the Seattle Seahawks, did you? Hasselbeck is still the best quarterback Pete Carroll can field. Although recently he has been frequently injured, as his body begins to break down, but he is still a warrior in the pocket and a fierce competitor.
Carroll took the team to the postseason by having both Hasselbeck and Charlie Whitehurst on the roster last year, there’s no reason why he can’t do it again—especially after Matt’s performance in the Wild Card Round.
Most importantly, it is truly fitting for Hasselbeck to retire as a Seahawk after everything he has done for the franchise. It would make for a great story if this was his last season in the league. Yes, we’ve seen players sign one-day contracts to retire with their most prominent team, but it loses the effect for me.
Matt is the face of the Seattle franchise—he deserves one last shot.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
9. Cincinnati Bengals
4 of 12
The Bengals just drafted the two new faces of their franchise in A.J. Green and Andy Dalton. This should mean that Carson Palmer is gone. Even if Chad Ochocinco remains (they should really try to trade him), he’ll only stick around for one season.
This next season will be a transition period from one era to the next.
When Cincinnati drafted Palmer, the Bengals made him sit behind Jon Kitna to learn the game and the team to eventually lead the organization. Although I believe Dalton has the tools, maturity and leadership qualities to start immediately, they would most likely prefer to sit him for at least one season—especially in the brutal AFC North.
Hasselbeck is the type of competitive quarterback that will do everything in his power to will this team each and every game. Green and Ochocinco would be the two best receivers Matt has ever thrown to. This is also a team with pieces to compete still in 2011 following their fantastic draft. He would at least give the fans something to root for during this transitional season.
8. Tennessee Titans
5 of 12
The Titans are looking to move on from the Vince Young era. They tried this "new era/mobile quarterback" offense and it blew up in their face. They clearly prefer the more traditional pocket passer and like having a game-managing, accurate veteran lead the team.
They drafted Jake Locker at No. 8, but he is still a project at the position in my eyes. He is nowhere near being ready to start in the NFL as a rookie on day one. Tennessee is thinking about bringing Kerry Collins back, who has performed well for the Titans, but Hasselbeck is clearly the better option for the team to win now. He is better in all phases of the game than Collins.
He would join a team with a good receiver in Kenny Britt and one of the best runners in the game in Chris Johnson.
More importantly, he would be a great mentor for Locker. He should help accelerate Jake’s progression as an NFL quarterback and teach him proper decision-making in the pocket.
7. Carolina Panthers
6 of 12
Cam Newton is a superstar, franchise quarterback who will sell tickets, jerseys and hope to fans. He has the tools necessary to be a successful, winning quarterback in the NFL. His heroics will allow his teammates to believe they are forever in every game until the clock winds down.
Yet once again, it is not ideal to send him out on day one to be annihilated, broken down and beaten mentally.
I have faith in him to be a rookie sensation, but new head coach Ron Rivera would most likely love the opportunity to let him sit and learn for a season before potentially destroying both of their careers in the first year.
Matt would be able to come to Carolina, which has an underrated receiving corps led by Steve Smith, a great rushing attack and is in need of a veteran quarterback. Hasselbeck would be able to mentor Cam just like he would other young quarterbacks featured on this list of teams.
More importantly, with Newton’s immense physical gifts to throw, run and catch, Carolina would be able to design multiple packages to utilize his abilities as a rookie to give him a taste of the NFL.
It is an ideal situation for Carolina and Cam to bring in a veteran to start, while easing Cam into the position through various packages. It would also be ideal for Hasselbeck, who will be able to stay fresh throughout the season, but can still be deemed a starting quarterback in the NFL.
6. Cleveland Browns
7 of 12
I’m a big fan of Colt McCoy. I think he has the tools to be the franchise quarterback the Browns have been searching for all decade. Still, although they shut it down in December last year, this is a highly competitive team.
If their new head coach believes McCoy is not ready just yet for the starting gig and needs more time to prepare for his NFL career, there is no reason Mike Holmgren would choose not to reunite with the quarterback he succeeded with as a head coach.
Hasselbeck is a gritty, hard-working performer and fits in perfectly with the type of players Holmgren is rebuilding the organization with. McCoy also needs a better mentor than Jake Delhomme and Senaca Wallace.
Holmgren and Hasselbeck assisted each other in defining their careers—you simply cannot rule out this reunion.
5. Miami Dolphins
8 of 12
All offseason the Miami Dolphins organization struggled with whether or not they would draft a quarterback or declare Chad Henne the starter. Henne has underwhelmed as a Dolphin despite having the tools to be their franchise quarterback. Needless to say, it has been an offseason full of uncertainties for Henne.
He is one of the biggest winners following the draft. Tony Sparano and the Miami organization dedicated their draft to rebuilding the offense—and it did not include a single quarterback.
Crisis averted—for now.
Once free agency begins, the Dolphins would love to bring in a veteran quarterback to compete for the job—Matt Hasselbeck is one of the prime candidates.
Miami has a great offensive line with Jake Long and No. 1 pick Mike Pouncey, a quality rushing attack with second-round selection Daniel Thomas and a very good receiving corps with Brandon Marshall.
Hasselbeck would be able to fight for a starting job, mentor Henne and make the Dolphins a far more competitive team than they are right now.
4. Washington Redskins
9 of 12
The Donovan McNabb experiment was…interesting, to say the least. Actually, let’s just call it like it is—a failure.
Expect Donovan McNabb to be in his third uniform in as many years in 2011. Head coach Mike Shanahan is now in search of a new veteran to compete for the starting job with Rex Grossman. We all thought Shanahan was going to draft the quarterback of the future this weekend. Instead, he kept trading down and refused to select one of the signal-callers of this class.
We doubt he will tank it to land a superior quarterback next year like Andrew Luck or Landry Jones as nice as that sounds. He is clearly in search of a veteran to give him the possibility of trading up for a franchise quarterback in the class of 2012. Hey, if you’re going to make a commitment, you might as well be sure about it!
Owner Daniel Snyder has never been shy with his wallet, and may give Hasselbeck a bit more on a one-year or short-term contract to make a bit of a splash, take him away from other teams and just avoid having to watch Grossman start another game for his franchise.
3. Minnesota Vikings
10 of 12
The Vikings grabbed Christian Ponder with the No. 12 overall selection, but are still chasing a veteran quarterback to guide them back to the top of the division. Brett Favre went through a renaissance in his debut season with the Vikings—perhaps the stars could align for the second time in three years with Matt Hasselbeck under center.
More importantly, Hasselbeck will be able to accelerate Ponder’s progression by teaching him during the game on the sidelines, in the film and locker rooms, dealing with injuries and handling the pressures of being a franchise quarterback.
Minnesota is an ideal landing spot for Hasselback. He has Adrian Peterson in the backfield, a great playmaker in Percy Harvin and most likely Sidney Rice back as well. The defense is still stout enough to win the division—this missing link for this team is the quarterback position.
It worked in 2009 when Favre became a game manager, there’s no reason a player who is already a game manager in Hasselbeck couldn’t come in to resurrect his career with one last hurrah.
2. San Francisco 49ers
11 of 12
New 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh did a great job in his first draft with the organization. He grabbed freak pass rusher Aldon Smith at No. 7 overall, who could possibly be the next DeMarcus Ware. Harbaugh pairs him with Patrick Willis to form the NFC’s version of elite AFC linebacking duo Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, who conveniently play for Jim’s brother John in Baltimore.
Even better, he grabbed his franchise quarterback in Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick. This is a sound quarterback with fantastic athleticism, sharp accuracy and strong arm strength. Still, teams rarely want to throw their young quarterbacks to the wolves in fear of destroying their psyche.
This is a team with superstar talent on offense with Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. Like other teams on this list, the missing link is the quarterback position. Alex Smith should not be back after being one of the biggest busts in the history of the league. Hasselbeck has the tools necessary to take the 49ers past the other teams in the NFC West, including a Seattle team that shunned him, to take the division crown. He could make this one of the better offenses in the NFC as its potential was severely limited with Smith at quarterback.
Hasselbeck has a legitimate chance to win the starting gig with the 49ers and they have more pieces on offense to help him than any other team on this list.
1. Arizona Cardinals
12 of 12
The Arizona Cardinals rank atop the list as they desperately, more than any other team now following the draft, need a veteran quarterback. Minutes prior to the draft, rumor was that Ken Whisenhunt and the Cardinals would make a strong push to sign a veteran quarterback once free agency is allowed to begin.
The Cardinals quarterback play was downright atrocious last year. Matt Leinart was so bad in preseason that he was cut outright before the season started! Derek Anderson, Max Hall and John Skelton were pitiful as a whole.
The Cardinals will actually field a division-winning team to begin the year—except for the quarterback position.
Following the draft, they have a legitimate three-headed rushing monster to go along with a Hall of Fame receiver in Larry Fitzgerald.
Patrick Peterson, the No. 5 overall selection, is the next Deion Sanders. He is a remarkable cornerback and return specialist and completes the most talented secondary in the NFL.
Think Hasselbeck wouldn’t mind sticking it to Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks in the division if they decide to let him go?
This is a team that can legitimately win the NFC West and make noise in the playoffs—they just need a capable quarterback who can manage the game.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")