The writing is on the wall in Seattle, where Tarvaris Jackson's days as a starting quarterback for the Seahawks are all but over.
Seattle's front office is "talking to a couple of teams" about trading Jackson, a source with knowledge of the situation told NFL.com and NFL Network reporter Albert Breer on Wednesday.
ProFootballTalk.com first reported the Jackson trade talks.
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The sticking point is Jackson's $4 million salary, hefty enough to scare potential suitors away. According to the source, Seattle is waiting patiently for the preseason to play itself out, allowing injuries to turn quarterback-needy teams into potential trade partners.
Coach Pete Carroll has played it safe with Jackson, airlifting him out of the team's three-man quarterback competition, which now becomes a race between probable starter Matt Flynn and rookie Russell Wilson.
Jackson didn't take a snap in the preseason opener and Carroll announced Tuesday that he won't play Saturday against the Denver Broncos. Flynn will start and Wilson will play the second half, indicating the Seahawks don't want to risk injury to Jackson.
That plan could backfire. Jackson is well-liked by teammates, but front offices around the league have little reason to fall in love with the veteran. Promising work in games could help his stock, but teams also know what to expect. He's a middle-tier starter with a thin track record for winning games, one reason "sources" in these situations often emerge from within a player's camp.
Carroll, if nothing else, knows how to keep it interesting at quarterback.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.