Ex-coach Brad Childress endorses Tarvaris Jackson as Seahawks’ starter

By Jacob Thorpe
Special to 710Sports.com

Seahawks fans may not know what to make of Tarvaris Jackson, the quarterback the Seahawks will sign in lieu of bringing back starter Matt Hasselbeck. But one man who knows exactly what the Seahawks have in Jackson is his old head coach in Minnesota, Brad Childress.

New Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson will reunite with former Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. (AP)

Childress joined the Kevin Calabro Show on Wednesday to grant his insight into Jackson and why he thinks the Seahawks have found their starting quarterback.

Fans may be worried about Jackson’s perceived lack of accuracy — he has a career completion percentage of 58.7 — But Childress doesn’t think it will be a problem.

“I wouldn’t say it’s that big of an issue,” Childress said. “He’s got plenty of arm, I think he can command a football. I’ve always believed that an NFL quarterback, it ought to be like a yo-yo on a string. If they say put it on the front shoulder, put it on the front shoulder, if they say put it on the back shoulder, put it on the back shoulder.

“I wouldn’t say anything about his accuracy; I think it’s improved over the course of time.”

Childress also firmly believes that Jackson will be helped by a change of scenery, as well as a familiar face. Current Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell was Jackson’s offensive coordinator in Minnesota. Childress said that playing for Bevell should help Jackson’s poise in the pocket, due to his familiarity with Bevell’s system.

“Obviously, Whitehurst is the incumbent, but I would have to give [the edge] to Tarvaris Jackson just with him knowing the offenses and the reads and just the nuances of the system that Bevell is going to run out there,” Childress said.

He also said that Jackson is a player who continually improved while he played for the Vikings, and that coming from a small school, Alabama State, he had more to learn than a lot of young quarterbacks.

You might also like…

Brock Huard: Why the Seahawks parted ways with Matt Hasselbeck