Getty INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAR 02: Head coach, Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 2, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Quarterbacks news and rumors have been nonstop with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. While there was expected to be a training camp battle between the top two QBs in Drew Lock and Geno Smith, another interesting name had come up at rookie minicamp who fans were hoping to see more of.
Unfortunately, that quarterback’s hopes of fighting his way into a backup quarterback job have ended, at least for now. Bob Condotta from The Seattle Times reported that the Seahawks had officially waived undrafted quarterback Levi Lewis.
Seahawks announce they have waived QB Levi Lewis. He was signed as a UDFA following draft. That leaves an open spot on 90-man roster.
Lewis was an undrafted quarterback out of Louisiana who had signed on with the team to participate in rookie minicamp. He also had the largest signing bonus of any undrafted rookie the Seahawks brought it, making the move to part ways this early into the offseason a bit of a surprise.
Levi Lewis Has Plenty of Talent Despite His Size
As possibly the most decorated quarterback in Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns history, Lewis has a tremendous amount of talent. He finished his college career with the most passing touchdowns in program history (74) while also finishing second all-time in passing yards (9,203).
The left-handed quarterback made a ton of plays in college, but he also did so while taking care of the ball. Lewis never had more than seven interceptions in a single season, and his TD-to-INT ratio was over 4.1. For reference, only Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes have a ratio at the NFL level higher than 4.0.
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Lewis also was a decent runner at the college level. He ran for 1,088 yards and 14 touchdowns at Louisiana, and while that may not sound like a ton, remember that sacks taken by quarterbacks negatively impact rushing numbers at the college level.
Despite all of his success, size was a big reason that Lewis went undrafted. The Seahawks had the quarterback listed at just 5’9″ and 192 pounds, making him significantly smaller than even some of the other lighter quarterbacks like Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson.
Seahawks Now Have Just 3 Rostered Quarterbacks
With Lewis now gone, the Seahawks are left with just three quarterbacks on their 90-man roster. There is also an open spot left on the roster, but the Seahawks could use that on a player at any position.
Smith is the likely favorite to land the starting job. He filled in nicely last season while Wilson dealt with a finger injury, completing 68.1 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and just one interception. He’s been with the team since 2019, so he should have a big head start as far as being comfortable within the offensive scheme.
Lock was acquired in the trade that sent Wilson to the Denver Broncos, but he will also be in the mix for the starting role. He was the 42nd overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and while he’s shown flashes at times, he’s struggled with consistency at the NFL level. Seahawks fans are hoping a change of scenery will do him some good.
Former Washington Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason is the only other quarterback currently on the roster. He was taken in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and at 6’6″ he has great size and arm strength. However, his ball placement and pocket presence were an issue in college, and he’s already thrown an interception at the NFL level despite only throwing five passes.
The Seahawks could add another quarterback in the months leading up to training camp, but at the moment these three are who the team will be working with.