Hasselbeck agrees to reported three-year, $21M deal with Titans

Veteran free-agent quarterback Matt Hasselbeck agreed to terms Wednesday on a multiyear deal with the Tennessee Titans, sources confirmed to NFL Network's Albert Breer.

The Tennessean reported the contract is for three years and worth $21 million.

NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported Tuesday that the Seattle Seahawks were unlikely to re-sign Hasselbeck. Later Tuesday, the team agreed to terms with former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.

Life after Hasselbeck in Seattle The Seahawks heavily relied on QB Matt Hasselbeck for so long. Now, with his departure to the Titans, they must find a way to fill the void left by their longtime leader. More...

Hasselbeck spent 10 seasons with the Seahawks, and the Titans hope he can bring stability to their quarterback position and work with rookie Jake Locker, the No. 8 overall draft pick.

Veteran Kerry Collins retired three weeks ago, and the Titans plan to trade or release Vince Young before training camp opens Friday.

"I think it's a good move," Titans wide receiver Damien Williams said Wednesday as news of the Hasselbeck deal leaked. "Obviously, we've got a bunch of young guys with Jake and Rusty (Smith, a second-year pro), and they're not quite acclimated. We've got a brand-new system, so to bring in a veteran that knows how to adapt quickly, I think that's a good move. Those guys can have someone to learn from."

Not every Titans player was enthused about the move. In a radio interview Wednesday, cornerback Cortland Finnegan praised Hasselbeck's accomplishments but questioned whether he's the right fit in Tennessee.

"He throws the ball with good checkdowns, good intermediate passing game. That's a West Coast offense they run, he throws the ball quick," Finnegan said on WGFX-FM, according to MusicCityMiracles.com. "I don't fear his deep ball. Don't get me wrong, he's great at what he's done. Pro Bowls, All-Pros, even playing in the Super Bowl, but for what we have going, what direction I want to go and the team wants to go, I don't know if he fits what we need, but I'm not the GM, I'm not the front office."

The NFL free agency cycle is in full effect, with teams and players agreeing to terms fast as training camps open. Get the latest on all the news right here.

Back in January, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll pronounced that re-signing Hasselbeck was his team's No. 1 priority, but the two sides couldn't reach an agreement before the 4½-month NFL lockout began.

The 35-year-old Hasselbeck played in 14 games last season, throwing for 3,001 yards and 12 touchdowns with 17 interceptions while completing 59.9 percent of his passes. Originally drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 draft, the three-time Pro Bowl selection has 29,579 passing yards, 176 touchdowns and 128 interceptions while completing 60.1 percent of his throws in 12 seasons.

Hasselbeck comes to Tennessee already familiar with general manager Mike Reinfeldt, who worked in the Seahawks' front office before joining the Titans in 2007, and Locker, who played at the University of Washington, which is located in Seattle.

"From college to the NFL is a big adjustment," Titans tight end Jared Cook said. "To have somebody to learn under, especially somebody as experienced as Matt Hasselback, I think is going to benefit all our quarterbacks."

In the post-lockout rush to complete rosters, the Titans needed to sign nine draft picks, work to keep some of their own free agents and possibly add a veteran defensive tackle, linebacker and safety. They agreed to terms with 14 undrafted rookies Tuesday.

The challenges don't end with signing players, either. The start of training camp will mark the first time players get to work out with first-year coach Mike Munchak and a staff of new assistants.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Seahawks' workout includes QBs Hasselbeck, Whitehurst

SEATTLE -- For a few hours Thursday morning, Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry didn't feel locked out. Being around teammates, and even a few guys from other NFL teams, provided a bit of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal offseason.

"Workouts like this today are helping me get over the fact we're not playing football," Curry said. "It's just tough without doing it."

Curry and about 35 other players gathered inside the University of Washington's indoor practice facility for a planned but informal workout. It was spearheaded by Seattle running back Justin Forsett, but the mix of players was far from Seahawks specific.

There were those who are under contract and likely to be key players for the Seahawks whenever the season begins: Curry, Forsett, quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, cornerback Marcus Trufant, linebacker David Hawthorne and offensive lineman Max Unger.

There were a handful of college kids, including former Washington linebacker Mason Foster -- drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- and safety Nate Williams.

Then there was arguably the largest group -- the free agents, most of whom were connected with the Seahawks last season but face an uncertain future. At the top of the list was quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, but others such as offensive linemen Sean Locklear and Chris Spencer, safety Lawyer Milloy, defensive tackle Craig Terrill and defensive back Jordan Babineaux also participated.

"I think it was more, 'We're all locked out,' " Whitehurst said of the practice's purpose. "It was just get together, get some work and try to get better."

Whitehurst's presence was notable considering he's the only quarterback under contract with the Seahawks for the 2011 season. He flew in from Atlanta to participate in the largest gathering of Seahawks or Seattle-based players so far, although the workouts have been going on informally for a couple of months.

Hasselbeck has been the leader at many of those practices since he lives in the Seattle area year-round, but his future with the Seahawks is unknown.

"I'm always looking for a chance to get together with the guys I'm going to throw to," Whitehurst said. "I don't know if it matters what position you play, but the guys who came felt it was important. Quarterbacks, obviously every opportunity we get, we're going to take it."

The workouts likely will continue, at a time when the Seahawks normally would be in the midst of minicamp and prepping for their final month of rest before training camp in late July. No one has a good sense of when the NFL lockout might end, with Unger saying he has heard a resolution could come in two weeks and in the same breath saying the entire season could be missed.

"It's just weird not playing football right now," Unger said. "We'd normally have just less than a month of offseason and then we'd be off 'til fall camp. ... I don't really know, man; that stuff is up in the air. There is a lot of red tape to cut through."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Carroll says Hasselbeck still Seahawks' starter

RENTON, Wash. -- Pete Carroll spent part of Monday just watching.

The Seahawks coach wanted to see how Matt Hasselbeck reacted in meetings to the blunt criticism of all the mistakes he's made recently. Then Carroll sat down with Hasselbeck to make certain he was in the right state mentally after having been booed off the field less than 24 hours earlier.

With a division title still obtainable -- even at 6-8 -- Carroll decided he's going to stick with his veteran quarterback instead of making a change to unproven backup Charlie Whitehurst.

"We're going with Matt. Matt's been our quarterback, he's given us a chance all throughout, the best chance to finish off right and I'm excited in that sense he's going to pull this thing together," Carroll said Monday afternoon. "We've got to play well around him. We've got to take care of the quarterback in all ways, protection-wise, running the football, we need to play better on defense so it's not all tuned where the focus is to one guy and people can try and point the finger."

Carroll put to rest what could have been a lingering debate all week as the Seahawks prepare to play at Tampa Bay on Sunday in a game that could end up being relatively meaningless to their chances at an NFC West title. If St. Louis beats San Francisco at home on Sunday, then it doesn't matter what the Seahawks do against the Buccaneers, the NFC West title will be decided on Jan. 2 when the Seahawks host the Rams.

And unless an injury occurs or Hasselbeck's horrid turnover rate continues, Carroll made clear that Hasselbeck will be the Seahawks quarterback for the final two games.

"I was very specific to our team and Matt today about how to handle it and giving us a chance to keep staying with the game plan and giving our special teams and our defense a chance, and our offense as well, a chance to get back into it by not overtrying, by not trying to force the issues," Carroll said.

Hasselbeck was pulled in the third quarter of Sunday's 34-18 loss to Atlanta after throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble that resulted in a Falcons touchdown. Whitehurst replaced Hasselbeck and played well, scoring on a 1-yard TD run in the fourth quarter that prompted chants of "Charlie" from the fans who remained.

Carroll said Whitehurst's performance makes the coach more confident if he needs to turn to Whitehurst.

Hasselbeck has continually violated what Carroll preaches the most, taking care of the ball. In his last four games, Hasselbeck's been responsible for 13 turnovers -- three fumbles and 10 interceptions. His fumble in the end zone on Seattle's first offensive play of the second half Sunday was recovered by Jonathan Babineaux for a touchdown and a 24-10 Falcons lead.

Hasselbeck followed up with interceptions on Seattle's next two possessions.

And this performance came after he had the first five-turnover game of his career -- four interceptions and one fumble -- a week earlier at San Francisco. It hasn't helped that Seattle's fallen behind in both games and Hasselbeck has admitted feeling as though he needed to force things.

"Looking back, I seem to do stupid things when we're losing. When we're down by two touchdowns or more, that's where I have to be way smarter. That's where I've really failed recently. That's on me. I know better. You have to learn the lesson the hard way, and I just have to be smarter in those kind of situations."

Carroll said he was pleased with how Whitehurst played when he entered, but the decision to continue with the struggling Hasselbeck is another statement on how the Seahawks view Whitehurst. Seattle traded a second-round pick to San Diego and signed Whitehurst to an $8 million, two-year deal with incentives last offseason with the hope he would compete for the starting job that Hasselbeck clearly won.

Whitehurst was 8 of 16 for 83 yards in about one quarter of action on Sunday.

"He did handle himself very well yesterday, did a nice job handling the situation, and if we need him we'll call on him," Carroll said. "Maybe just in that sense I feel better about him, you know, under those circumstances."

On the Seahawks' injury front, the team placed special teams captain Roy Lewis on injured reserve with a lingering knee injury that will require surgery. Carroll remains hopeful cornerback Marcus Trufant will be able to play Sunday at Tampa Bay.

The team also signed defensive back Marcus Brown to the active roster.

Lewis had been bothered by the injury for a few weeks.

Trufant left Sunday's game with back spasms. Carroll says this is not related to the back injury that cost Trufant the first six games of 2009.

Cornerback Walter Thurmond is expected back this week after missing Sunday's game with a hamstring injury. Defensive tackle Junior Siavii's status is unknown after he suffered a stinger in the fourth quarter Sunday.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Seahawks turn to Whitehurst at QB after Hasselbeck ruled out

RENTON, Wash. -- If the New York Giants are going to add to their knockout list of quarterbacks, it won't be Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck.

Hasselbeck, the Seahawks' starting QB, is out for Sunday's game against New York with a concussion, with Seattle coach Pete Carroll announcing Thursday that Hasselbeck had not been cleared to play. Charlie Whitehurst will make the first start of his career.

"I think it's a little more serious than I thought. I visited with Matt after the game and stuff and I didn't realize there was anything going on. Not till Monday did we really ... there were some symptoms and stuff like that and then we took it very seriously," Carroll said. "I'm surprised a little bit, but it's real. That's good for me to understand it better, too."

Carroll said Hasselbeck would still need to be cleared under the league-mandated concussion testing in order to play next week at Arizona.

Hasselbeck suffered his concussion late in last week's 33-3 loss at Oakland. Carroll said Monday and again Wednesday he hoped Hasselbeck would be cleared and able to play against the Giants.

Instead, it'll be Whitehurst, who was brought to Seattle in a trade with San Diego in the offseason, but has never thrown a pass in a regular-season game.

"The circumstances are good," Whitehurst said. "We're playing a good team. Playing at home. It's all you can really ask for. I plan on going out there and executing and helping this team win."

Outside of three snaps in garbage time last week, Whitehurst gets his first opportunity. Whitehurst spent his first four years in San Diego as the third-stringer behind Philip Rivers and Billy Volek.

The Seahawks acquired him in March for a swap of second-round picks in the 2010 draft and an undisclosed 2011 selection.

"He's ready," Carroll said of Whitehurst. "I've talked to Charlie from the first day he got here that he's coming here to play football. Nothing else. He's not coming here to be a backup or to do anything other than to make himself a spot. He has done a fantastic job up until this point. He's done everything that we've asked of him and we're real excited to see him play now."

The Seahawks will face an imposing Giants defense that has knocked out five quarterbacks this season and had 10 sacks against Chicago in Week 4. Seattle's banged-up offensive line allowed eight sacks of Hasselbeck last week in Oakland.

"I've got a lot to worry about. I'm not going to worry about that. I'm confident in the guys up front," Whitehurst said. "They can do their jobs and I know what they've done to quarterbacks this year, but we're confident we're going to go out there and play well."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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