During the lockout, it seemed that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had a good chance of returning to the Seahawks for an 11th season. An offer supposedly had been made by the team, and he managed to get his hands on new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell’s playbook.
Then, when a report emerged after the lockout ended that Hasselbeck wouldn’t be back, it wasn’t clear who had broken up with whom.
As Hasselbeck tells it, the Seahawks decided it was time to move on.
In an interview with Paul Silvi of KING 5 in Seattle, Hasselbeck said that coach Pete Carroll and G.M. John Schneider informed Hasselbeck that they would not be bringing him back in 2011. He didn’t seem upset or bitter about it, and he expressed appreciation for the fact that they told him directly, in lieu of letting him learn of it through the media.
Asked about the playoff win over the Saints, which would be Hasselbeck’s last home game with the Seahawks, he explained that he can’t think about that game without thinking of the division-round loss to the Bears. He believes the Seahawks could have won that game and hosted the NFC Championship against Green Bay, if the Seahawks hadn’t been sleepwalking in the first half.
Now in Tennessee, Hasselbeck probably feels at times like he’s sleepwalking. Eventually, he’ll make the adjustment, especially if he is able to make good on his stated plan to play for two more years.