Turns out there will be no real competition for the Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback job. Instead, head coach Pete Carroll ended any kind of drama on Saturday, telling reporters Tarvaris Jackson will be the starter when he joins the team, and the quarterback job is his to lose. Jackson signed with the Seahawks early in this year's wild NFL free agency period and was expected to be a stop-gap at quarterback as the team worked to find a long-term solution, perhaps in the 2012 offseason.
But there is a caveat to Jackson being named the starter. As Mike Sando notes, Jackson will run the show because he knows the offense, but his status could change as the rest of the team catches up.
Carroll: Tarvaris Jackson is Seattle starter til others can learn offense. His job to lose. By naming Tarvaris Jackson starting QB because Jackson knows Bevell's offense, Carroll buys short-term QB clarity w/o losing flexibility.
With not mini-camps or organized team activities, this is the nature of the 2011 preseason. The Seahawks are trying to install a new scheme, and have little time to adjust to Bevell's new offense. With Jackson, at least there's an element of familiarity.
Charlie Whitehurst will run the first team offense until Aug. 4, when Jackson joins the team officially. Jackson was at camp, along with Sidney Rice and the other Seahawks' free agency signings, on Saturday.
For the latest of the Seahawks training camp, stay with this StoryStream. Be sure to head over to Field Gulls for all things Seahawks in this wild time of uncertainty.