The upside potential of Russell Wilson was too much for the Seattle Seahawks to ignore.

So, coach Pete Carroll named him the team’s starting quarterback for the season during a conference call tonight. Wilson will start the team’s preseason finale Thursday against the Oakland Raiders and then square off against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1.

Carroll knows a little something about developing quarterbacks from his days at USC, so perhaps he’s made the right choice. The Seahawks held a quarterback competition and everything has been cleared up with Tarvaris Jackson being traded to the Buffalo Bills and Wilson now topping the depth chart.

The bet was Matt Flynn would be named the starter. The Seahawks signed him to a $19.5 million, three-year contract in free ageny, but Wilson’s athletic ability and production won out. Now, we’ll see if Wilson can produce as a 5-11 starter. It certainly will be interesting to watch.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune