Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
 |
| Hasselbeck |
Most respondents to the Hot Topic item about Matt Hasselbeck thought the Seahawks' quarterback should return in Week 11 instead of focusing on getting healthy for 2009.
My rough count following the Monday night game showed 28 votes for Hasselbeck returning and 21 against, with quite a few comments in between. A sampling:
blocis: The Seahawks are a professional sports franchise; they should always play to win. This means putting your best players on the field. Given the state of the season, it wouldn't make sense to push any player back to the field early, but if they are healthy, the best players need to play. Doing it any other way is a non-competitive, losing attitude.
RavenPurple2000: It's best to keep Matt on the sideline for the remainder of the season. The Seahawks will miss the playoffs without question, so there is no need to risk your franchise quarterback for the sake of getting a couple of wins. Losing Matt Hasselbeck for an extended period of time as a result of injury during one of the Seahawks' remaining games would do much more than just add insult to injury. An injury to Matt could jeopardize next season, too. Let Seneca Wallace take the remainder of the reps to help him develop into a more capable backup for the Seahawks.
thesmeall456: It really don't matter who is quarterback 'cause the WRs are not catching the ball.
albaNYHawker: Hasselbeck should definitely play against the Cardinals next week at Qwest if he is healthy enough to do so. The only shot the Seahawks have at postseason is to win their two remaining games against the Cardinals. If they don't win next week, Hass should be shut down for sure and [Charlie] Frye should start the remaining games of the season. We already know what we have with Wallace, which isn't enough. Let's see if Mora needs ONE or TWO new backup QBs next season.
smooth_bee33: I think there's a happy medium here. If he's cleared to play, give him an extra week of practice to ensure that he comes back as close to 100 percent as possible. Don't shelf him, but don't let him come back too soon either. Seneca Wallace has done an admirable job under the circumstances, given what he has to work with.
Good dialogue on this one. I tend to think Hasselbeck should return as long as doctors clear him. Finishing strong could give him a starting point for next season. And if the Cardinals suddenly collapse, there's an outside chance a Seattle rally could tighten the division race.
Sando joined ESPN.com in 2007 after nine seasons covering the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune. He lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons.
