Eagles vs. Seahawks: Why Seattle QB Tarvaris Jackson Should Be Benched

Are we still pretending Tarvaris Jackson can be a legitimate NFL quarterback? Why on Earth would anyone believe that at this point with several years worth of evidence to the contrary?

For some reason the Seattle Seahawks are still trotting Jackson out there every week in an attempt to see if he can actually win games for them on a consistent basis. Here's a clue: He can't.

While the 4-7 Seahawks have a ton of holes offensively, Jackson certainly doesn't help things. He has played in 10 games this season and has completed 182-of-308 passes (59.1 percent) for 2,065 yards, with nine touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His passer rating of 72.8 ranks 29th out of the 33 quarterbacks who qualify. 

The Seahawks rank 30th in the NFL in total offense (294.1 yards per game) and 26th in points per game (16.8). They are completely out of playoff contention, so why is Jackson still starting? 

Don't get me wrong, I don't think backup Charlie Whitehurst should be seen as a savior, but Seattle did spend a third-round pick to acquire him; they might as well throw him out there over the next few weeks and see what they have with him. 

In three games this season Whitehurst has completed 27-of-56 passes (48.2 percent) for 298 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He has a quarterback rating of 62.9 right now.

The Seahawks foolishly signed Jackson to a two-year, $8 million contract in the offseason. He simply isn't worth that much and he could conceivably be cut this offseason. In his six NFL seasons he has never proven that he can hang as a starting quarterback. There is no reason for this experiment to last any longer.