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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Moon’s Bright Nfl Career May Be Starting To Dim

Associated Press

So what about the future? Seattle Seahawks quarterback Warren Moon pondered the question and, for a moment, had no answer. He’s 41 and every football season requires a lot of thought and speculation before his decision.

He might retire after this season. That isn’t likely, but he isn’t sure. Should a new coach and a new general manager suddenly appear, perhaps his run as Seattle’s starting quarterback would be over.

“The question is what it is every year: Do I want to go through it all over again?” Moon said. “Do I want to stay away from home?”

He is adamant that he won’t accept a role similar to one he took before this year when the Seahawks signed him as a backup to John Friesz. If Friesz hadn’t gotten hurt the first game, Moon would not have gotten the chance to complete 285 passes - one short of the team record - and throw for 20 touchdowns and 3,306 yards.

Last season in Minnesota, he has said, there were doubts about his ability. He feels he shot those down and doesn’t need to prove himself again.

Still, he doesn’t know what people in the league think.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if people thought that way,” he said. “It doesn’t surprise me that they might have reservations about me. The quarterback position is one of ‘What have you done for me lately?”’

That’s why he considers the final three games of an otherwise meaningless season so important. If you ask him, he must win them all. A 9-7 record and a near miss of the playoffs will say he was able to accomplish almost all he wanted.

His future comes down to three possibilities. He could stay and start next season. He could retire. He could be traded or be released from the last year of his two-year contract and play elsewhere. If he doesn’t get the chance to compete for the Seahawks’ starting job, he will try to leave.

Friesz is under contract for next year, the last season of a two-year, $4.5 million extension. Plus the coaches see a big future in Jon Kitna, who at 25 soon will need playing time. Because Moon is supposed to make about $1 million next year, money could play a role in his future with the franchise.

Left tackle James Atkins gets his first start of the season Sunday when the Seahawks play at Baltimore.

Humphries on injured reserve

Quarterback Stan Humphries, after a series of concussions, was placed on the injured reserve list by San Diego.

xxxx Sunday on TV 10 a.m.: Seahawks at Ravens (NBC) 10 a.m.: Packers at Buccaneers (Fox) 1 p.m.: Vikings at 49ers (Fox) 5 p.m.: Lions at Dolphins (ESPN)