No wandering eyes for Hawks' Wallace

KIRKLAND — The Seahawks like the security Seneca Wallace provides as their backup quarterback. That's why they secured Wallace on Tuesday with a three-year contract extension.

He is now signed through 2010. Monetary terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"I'm glad to be here in Seattle," Wallace said after the team's afternoon practice. "I've been here five years, and I have no complaints about anything."

Wallace gives the Seahawks a quarterback capable of winning should starter Matt Hasselbeck go down, as he did last season.

Wallace went 2-2 as a starter in Hasselbeck's absence in 2006.

Wallace visited Tampa Bay as a restricted free agent in 2006, and Seahawks president Tim Ruskell said the team didn't want to lose Wallace as an unrestricted free agent.

"That was a very real possibility," Ruskell said. "We all know the problems people are having in terms of getting quality quarterbacks. So, absolutely, that was on our mind, and we felt this was a good window to do it."

Wallace signed an extension in 2006 as well.

He will get a raise from the $800,000 in base salary he was scheduled to make this season.

The Seahawks drafted Wallace in the fourth round in 2003. He spent the first two seasons as the team's emergency quarterback and the past two as Hasselbeck's backup. Wallace turned 27 earlier this month.

Hasselbeck, who turns 32 in September, also is signed through 2010.

With the extension, Wallace gives up a chance at this point to search out a starting quarterback's job as an unrestricted free agent.

"People always say the grass will probably be greener on the other side," Wallace said.

"I'm just happy to be here."

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com