Seahawks claim former UW Huskies starting QB Jacob Eason off waivers
Oct 20, 2021, 2:13 PM | Updated: 2:16 pm
The Seahawks have added former UW Huskies and Colts QB Jacob Eason to the 53-man roster. (David Berding/Getty Images)
(David Berding/Getty Images)
With Russell Wilson out for at least two more weeks, the Seahawks have added another quarterback to the mix, and it’s someone who Seattle fans likely have some familiarity with.
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That would be Jacob Eason, who started for the UW Huskies in 2019, where he completed over 64% of his passes with 23 touchdowns to eight interceptions in his lone year with the program. After that season, Eason declared for the NFL Draft, where the Indianapolis Colts selected him in the fourth round.
The Colts released Eason earlier this week, and the Seahawks claimed him off waivers on Wednesday.
Eason grew up north of Seattle in Lake Stevens in Snohomish County where he emerged as one of the top prep players in the entire country. Rated as a five-star quarterback by every major recruiting site in the nation, Eason chose to play at Georgia after winning Gatorade Player of the Year for the entire country.
While at Georgia, Eason, who stands 6 foot 5, emerged as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback as a true freshman in the team’s second game of the 2016 season. He entered the 2017 season as the starter, but after suffering an injury, Jake Fromm took over as the starter and led Georgia to the National Championship while Eason became the backup after returning from the injury.
Eason subsequently transferred to Washington in 2018, but he had to sit out a year due to transfer rules. He then started every game for the Huskies in 2019 before declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft.
In his rookie season in 2020, Eason was the Colts’ third-string quarterback behind starter Phillip Rivers and backup Jacoby Brissett and didn’t appear in any games. He entered the 2021 season as the backup behind starter Carson Wentz, and while in relief of an injured Wentz in Week 2, Eason completed two of five passes for 25 yards and threw an interception, sealing a win for the Los Angeles Rams.
Eason is now one of just two quarterbacks on the Seahawks’ 53-man roster along with Geno Smith, who is Wilson’s backup but is starting until Wilson returns from injured reserve. The Seahawks also have Jake Luton, a Marysville native, and Danny Etling on the practice squad.
After acquiring Eason off waivers, the Seahawks’ 53-man roster is now full.
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