Ex-Seahawks Quarterback Cut by NFC Contender Ahead of Playoffs

Pete Carroll

Getty Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.

Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jacob Eason is once again looking for a new home after being released by the San Francisco 49ers, per the NFL transaction wire. The news comes amid the emergence of seventh-round pick Brock Purdy who is now the Niners starting quarterback with Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo both sidelined due to injuries.

Eason’s next team will be his fifth franchise over his three-year NFL career barring a return to one of his previous stops. The former highly touted signal-caller was part of the Seahawks quarterback competition throughout the offseason and into training camp.

Seattle ultimately released Eason in August as the team finalized their 53-man roster opting to lean on Geno Smith and Drew Lock at quarterback. The Seahawks later signed veteran Sean Mannion to the team’s practice squad to be the franchise’s third quarterback. After being cut by Seattle, Eason signed with the Panthers but was released by Carolina in November.

Eight days later, Eason joined the 49ers as the team dealt with quarterback injuries. The Niners later inked journeyman Josh Johnson making Eason the odd quarterback out.


Could the Seahawks Reunite With Eason?

Eason’s sudden availability is sure to prompt some Seahawks fans to wonder if Seattle could look to reunite with the quarterback. Given Seattle’s decision to sign Mannion over retaining Eason, the Seahawks appeared to have moved on from the quarterback. Eason is a former five-star quarterback who began his college career at Georgia before transferring to Washington.

247Sports had Eason as the No. 4 overall ranked prospect in the class of 2016. The Colts selected Eason in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft after the quarterback was once viewed as a potential first-round prospect. Heading into the 2020 draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Eason to Carson Palmer giving the quarterback a second-round grade.

“His elite size and arm talent are reminiscent of Carson Palmer, but issues with pocket poise and getting through progressions cleanly are more reminiscent of Brock Osweiler,” Zierlein wrote at the time. “Eason is fun to watch when he’s ripping throws around the field and taking deep play-action shots, but a lack of mobility inside and outside the pocket is troubling, considering his ineffectiveness when pressured.

“He’s relatively inexperienced and should continue to develop from the pocket, but poise is hard to fix, and handling exotic blitz packages is not a given. He’s a pro-style, play-action-based quarterback with average starter potential and an average backup floor.”


Seattle Hosted QB Carson Strong for a Tryout

Seattle is showing an interest in potentially adding another quarterback as the team hosted former Nevada signal-caller Carson Strong for a January 3 tryout. After a standout collegiate career with the Wolfpack, Strong went undrafted in 2022 largely due to health concerns. Strong threw for 4,175 yards, 36 yards and eight interceptions during his 12 appearances with Nevada in 2021.

“On Carson Strong, multiple teams had high grades on him and a few coaches were pushing for their teams to draft him,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweeted on May 3. “Medical staffs kept pushing back because of his knee. That’s why he went undrafted. Had a bunch of interest as a UDFA and took the Eagles’ offer.”

Strong signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent but was released prior to the start of the regular season. The quarterback had a seven-day stint with the Cardinals in December but was cut after just one week in Arizona.