Vikings get an apology from Seahawks GM?

While Seahawks general manager John Schneider said he apologized to the Vikings for comments he made about how Tarvaris Jackson was handled in Minnesota, Schneider continued to say that Jackson had his starting job pulled early in Minnesota.

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider is softening comments he made earlier this month that were critical of the way the Vikings handled quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Seahawks after the NFL lockout ended.

"He’s 28 years old, and quite frankly was [expletive] on for four years,” Schneider told Yahoo.com a little more than a week ago.

During an interview on Pro Football Talk Monday, Schneider said he privately apologized to Vikings management, including vice presidents Rick Spielman and Rob Brzezinski. While Schneider sounded sorry that his comments came out, he continued to say that he felt Jackson was pulled from the starting job early during his tenure with the Vikings.

"Yeah, that was kind of a cavalier moment there," Schneider said. "What I was trying to say was that I understand what Tarvaris had been through and being in Green Bay and seeing what Aaron [Rodgers] went through, to a lesser degree with Brett. ... And early on playing, you know, he was pulled right away. That’s a comment that I’d definitely like to have back.”

Schneider said he’d like to put that comment “in your back pocket.”

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told Yahoo! that Jackson had been “jerked around” during his time in Minnesota.

While Jackson was never able to secure the starting job full-time in Minnesota, there were plenty of factors going into that. He never established himself enough to earn that position, partly due to his play in game-time conditions and party due to injuries that might have hampered his development.

Jackson was 3-for-5 for 13 yards in his preseason debut for the Seahawks, who named him their starter at the beginning of training camp.

The Vikings and Seahawks play each on Saturday, but so far Vikings players haven’t engaged in trash talk regarding Jackson or fellow ex-teammate Sidney Rice, who also signed with the Seahawks once free agency opened.

Interestingly, when Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio asked Schneider if Seattle quarterback Charlie Whitehurst might feel the same way about his treatment in Seattle as the Seahawks viewed Jackson’s situation in Minnesota, Schneider acknowledged the similarities.

"Great point," Schneider said. "Coach Carroll's whole message here is it's all about competition. Quite frankly Charlie has really stepped up in this camp. He's had a very nice camp. He's stepped forward with his leadership. He’s learning the system. ... He’s able to understand the situation to a certain extent. But he's a competitor, he has a lot of pride. I think he's doing a great job and Coach Carroll and his staff are doing a great job.”

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Tim Yotter is the publisher of Viking Update. Follow Viking Update on Twitter and discuss this topic on our message boards. To become a subscriber to the Viking Update web site or magazine, click here.

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