A few critical points that shouldn't be overlooked....
1) Matt Hasselbeck - annointed as a PreSeason GOD when he was in Green Bay. Holmgren took a big chance on a kid he knew. Brought him into a system he already knew. Paid him a bunch of money up front. Then groomed him with Trent Dilfer. Even after his first year of full starts, he didn't take. Now look where he is.
2) JF has A LOT of ALLIES on this team. Bringing in AJF and annoiting him the Starter, WITHOUT a competition and JF still on the roster, would have almost created a mutiny.
The competition is not just for the coaches' and FO's sake, it's for the team as well. The FO and coaches want AJF to PROVE himself worthy to the team. They want the team to embrace him. This is not an easy or quick process.
Remember, just as there are JF fans and AJF fans on this board and in FinLand, there are the same loyalists on the team. You can't afford alienating your team for no reason. I honestly think IF they thought AJF WAS THE GUY, they would have shipped JF out the door and NOT allowed him to come back. By keeping Jay, they are admitting they have their doubts and NEED a security blanket, JIC.
Look at the NYG situation. Collins' has his loyalist, BUT he's no longer there. So, no matter how angry the players get with the situation, they HAVE to move on. He's not there to support.
We don't have that luxury. Jay is still here and the situation could get a lot worse if things are not done delicately.