Whitehurst returns to Chargers; Volek released

After spending the last two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, quarterback Charlie Whitehurst is making his return to the San Diego Chargers. Whitehurst, who was picked by the Chargers in the third round of the 2006 NFL draft, signed a two-year deal with San Diego tonight.

After spending his first four seasons with the Chargers, Whitehurst was traded to the Seahawks in a deal that allowed San Diego to move up 20 spots in the second round of the 2010 draft. The Chargers also acquired Seattle's third-round pick in the 2011 draft. San Diego used the 2010 second-round pick to move up 16 spots in the first round to select Ryan Mathews with the 12th overall selection. The 2011 third-round pick, 89th overall, was used on cornerback Shareece Wright.

The Seahawks had hoped Whitehurst would be their quarterback of the future, but that never came to fruition. In his two years with Seattle, Whitehurst started just four games and posted a well-below-average quarterback rating of 64.2 while completing just 54.2% of his passes for 805 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. His best moment came when he quarterbacked the Seahawks to a 16-6 triumph over the division rival St. Louis Rams during the final week of the 2010 regular season, allowing Seattle to capture the NFC West title and clinch a playoff berth.

Whitehurst will be the backup quarterback behind starter Philip Rivers. Billy Volek, who had been Rivers' primary backup since the 2007 season, was just released in a move to create extra space below the salary cap. According to U-T San Diego, Volek's release allows the Chargers to save a total of $.3.5 million against the cap. Volek was due a $750,000 roster bonus next Thursday.