Hawks Want To Go Long With Friesz Seattle Looks At Extended Deal, Likely Is Done Pursuing George

The Seattle Seahawks apparently no longer want free-agent quarterback Jeff George and are trying to get John Friesz to agree to a long-term contract.

“The way John’s playing, obviously there’s a tremendous interest in taking a serious look in keeping John here with our franchise as the quarterback for a while,” coach Dennis Erickson said Monday.

Friesz, who started the season on the bench as Rick Mirer’s backup, has led the Seahawks to three consecutive victories and a 4-1 record in his five starts to reach .500 at 5-5.

The Seahawks beat Minnesota 42-23 Sunday as Friesz passed for 263 yards and two touchdowns.

Friesz has the NFL’s No. 3 quarterback rating - and second in the AFC at 89.8.

Before the league’s trading deadline last month, the Seahawks tried to send Mirer to the Falcons. But the deal fell through when George turned down a $30 million, six-year offer by Seattle.

The Seahawks continued to pursue George after he was released by the Falcons and became a free agent. George then came out to Seattle as the Seahawks’ guest in the Kingdome for an Oct. 27 game with San Diego.

Seattle interest in George now appears to be dead.

“If we do something with John, then he would be the guy who would be our quarterback,” Erickson said. “I think the thing with Jeff is a thing we investigated just like we said when it happened.”

Friesz, 29, confirmed the Seahawks were talking with his agent, Leigh Steinberg, about a new contract. Steinberg also is George’s agent.

Friesz said he’d like to stay in Seattle as the club’s No. 1 quarterback and he’d like to get a deal done soon with the Seahawks. He will become a free agent after the season.

“I would look at something now,” he said. “I would like to be here if everything is fair. But the reality is you have to look out for yourself and what is the best situation. If this was Week 15 right now, I think you wait and you just look at it at that time.”

Friesz, a seven-year NFL veteran, signed with the Seahawks as a free agent before last season after playing in Washington in 1994 and being in San Diego for four years. The Coeur d’Alene native was drafted by the Chargers in the sixth round from the University of Idaho in 1990.

Friesz said he was surprised when George turned down the Seahawks’ offer.

“I thought that was hard to turn down for anybody,” he said.

With 1,481 passing yards (112 for 193) and eight touchdowns and only three interceptions, Friesz is in the driver’s seat with the Seahawks. He’s enjoying his new lofty bargaining status.

“The NFL can be real political, especially in today’s market with the salary cap,” he said. “Generally, the guys who are getting paid are the guys who are given every opportunity to play. I haven’t fallen into that category and sometimes that’s difficult to overcome.”

Friesz has rescued a Seahawks’ season that began 1-4 with Mirer as the starting quarterback. The Seahawks beat San Diego, Houston and Minnesota at home to position themselves for a run at making the playoffs for the first time since 1988.

“To me, the bottom line of any quarterback is winning and losing,” Erickson said. “He throws the football extremely well and he doesn’t make mistakes.”

The Seahawks are expected to trade Mirer, the second player chosen in the 1993 draft, after the season. Mirer has the NFL’s lowest quarterback rating at 44.9 with one touchdown pass and nine interceptions.