RENTON — Entering the weekend, the Seahawks were one of just two NFL teams with only two quarterbacks on their roster, both active and on the practice squad.
That changed on Monday when they added former Minnesota Viking Jaren Hall to their practice squad, releasing receiver Easop Winston Jr. to make room.
P.J. Walker had served as the Seahawks’ third quarterback during the preseason, backing up starter Geno Smith and Sam Howell. However, Walker was released on Tuesday during the roster cutdown to the regular-season limit of 53 players. General manager John Schneider mentioned that re-signing Walker to the practice squad remained an option.
Hall, 26, became available last Thursday when he was waived by the Vikings after they opted to sign Brett Rypien, who had briefly been with the Seahawks a year ago, following his release from the Bears.
The Seahawks had shown interest in Hall during the 2023 draft, and he might have been their pick if he had slipped past the 164th spot, where the Vikings selected him in the fifth round.
Due to injuries to starter Kirk Cousins and backup Nick Mullens, the former BYU standout started two games for the Vikings as a rookie in 2023. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 168 yards with one interception and no touchdowns. Hall’s first start came on November 5 in a game against Atlanta, where he completed 5 of 6 passes for 78 yards before leaving early with a concussion in a 31-28 win. The Vikings then brought in Joshua Dobbs to take over.
Hall later started a late-season game against the Packers but was replaced by Mullens after completing 5 of 10 passes for 67 yards and an interception in a 33-10 loss. During the preseason, Hall saw significant playing time for the Vikings, completing 28 of 46 passes for 339 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions, while also rushing twice for 11 yards.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell expressed a desire to re-sign Hall after waiving him, emphasizing that Hall had been placed in a challenging situation as a rookie but had continued to improve. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah also hoped to retain Hall, citing a desire to invest more time in his development.
However, the opportunity to be the third quarterback in Seattle rather than the fourth in Minnesota likely appealed to Hall.
Hall made 25 starts at BYU during 2021-22, setting a school record for “career interception avoidance percentage” with 52 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. He threw for 6,174 yards and rushed for 796 on 181 carries. Hall is the son of former BYU running back Kalin Hall, who played in 1992-93. He also played baseball at BYU in 2019-20, appearing in 27 games with eight starts in the outfield.
Seahawks to Wear Throwbacks Against Denver
On Monday, media attending practice noticed offensive players sporting the team’s throwback jerseys and helmets. The team later announced that they will wear the throwbacks for Sunday’s season opener against Denver.
The team had previously announced that they will also wear the throwback uniforms for a Thursday night game against the 49ers on October 10. According to NFL rules, teams are allowed to wear throwbacks only twice this season.
The throwback uniforms made their debut last season, with the Seahawks going 1-1 while wearing them—winning against Cleveland at home and losing to Dallas.
Personnel Report — Jenkins, Jones, N. Fant Back in Uniform
Coach Mike Macdonald did not address the media, and the team is not required to release an injury report until Wednesday, so there were no official updates on player statuses.
read more…
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/seahawks-sign-third-qb-picking-up-jaren-hall-from-vikings-notebook/
