The atmosphere in Miami may be warm, but it certainly isn’t fuzzy.
According to ESPN’s Adam Shefter, Matt Flynn has agreed to terms with the Seattle Seahawks on a three-year deal worth up to $26 million, with $10 million guaranteed. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the contract has a base value of $19 million.
Per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, “The maximum annual value of less than $9 million reflects skepticism regarding Flynn’s ability to get it done as the week-in, week-out starting quarterback. And the “up to” means that the deal includes incentive payments, likely based on whether he plays.”
There’s no guarantee that he will, according to Florio, since starting signal-caller Tarvaris Jackson does have six years in the system that offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell uses and provided a decent display last season. T-Jack threw for 3,091 yards with 14 touchdowns to 13 interceptions and completed 60.2 percent of his passes (271 of 450) in 15 games and 14 starts in 2011.
Flynn has two career starts and has seen action in 34 games. He’s completed 82 of 132 passes for 1,015 yards with nine scores to five interceptions. However, the former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback did kick off the new year with a bang on January 1 by setting a franchise record with a whopping 480 yards through the air against the Detroit Lions in Week 17.
While it will be a tougher test for Flynn to see the field in Seattle than had he signed with the Dolphins, it’s highly likely he will win the starting job this fall and help save Pete Carroll‘s head coaching position in a playoffs-or-bust 2012 season. It’s also telling that he chose the Emerald City over South Beach and a reunion with former Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin.
Maybe Miami put less dough on the table, thinking Flynn would take a discount to be with Philbin and the ‘Phins.
I guess we’ll never know, or at least we probably won’t get a straight answer for a while. Maybe Brett Favre will chime in sometime in the next week or so with his two cents. Who knows…maybe he’ll come out of retirement Monday morning and create a simultaneous Favre watch and Manning watch. It might not surprise Alex Smith. But back to Flynn and the ‘Phins.
Regardless of his reasons for why he picked Seattle over Miami, the Dolphins will now turn their attention to Ryan Tannehill and whichever starting signal-caller gets bumped because of Peyton Manning (Tim Tebow, Alex Smith or Matt Hasselbeck, etc.).
Everyone involved with the team’s front office might ought to consider sleeping with one eye open. ’Phins fans could start swarming the stores for pitchforks any moment now.
We’ll also soon see if Packers star QB Aaron Rodgers was right about his recent verdict on Flynn.
Verse of This Piece: “Treat wisdom as a sister, and make understanding your closest friend.”—Proverbs 7:4
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