The Tennessee Titans seem to believe former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has a lot left in the tank, and have reportedly signed him a three-year deal to serve as both the starting quarterback and a mentor to first-round draft pick Jake Locker. The Seahawks informed Hasselbeck of their plans to move on early in free agency, calling him Tuesday afternoon just before news broke indicating the team had signed Tarvaris Jackson.
According to the Tennessean, Hasselbeck will make a good amount of money over the reported length of the deal.
Hasselbeck will sign what sources say is a three-year contract for roughly $21 million. Exact terms aren’t immediately known. Free agent signings cannot take place until Friday.
Hasselbeck's role off the field, as a mentor to Locker, is as important as his role on it. By bringing in a veteran quarterback, the Titans are taking the pressure off Locker, and putting him in the best-possible position. From all indications, Locker needs to polish and should have time to learn the system while working on his mechanics in Tennessee.
The deal Hasselbeck has reportedly agreed to is well out of the Seahawks price-range. There was little chance the Seahawks wanted Hasselbeck on more than a one-year deal, with three years way out of the picture. Instead, Seattle opted to go with cheaper, more short-term quarterbacks in an effort to rebuild.
For the latest on free agency, including players to watch and Seahawks transactions, stay with this StoryStream. For full coverage of the Seahawks free agency moves, head over to Field Gulls.