There was some speculation that the Seattle Seahawks would move off quarterback Geno Smith this offseason and start anew.
The 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year regressed big time this past season. Meanwhile, his biggest proponent in the building in that of former head coach Pete Carroll is no longer with the organization.
Seattle could have saved $22.5 million against the 2024 NFL salary cap by designating Smith a post-June 1 cut. It would have enabled the team to hit the free agent or trade market for another option under new head coach Mike Macdonald.
With the deadline for his guarantees this coming season set to trigger on Friday, the Seahawks have made a final decision on Smith’s contract.
Related: Ranking Geno Smith among NFL starting quarterbacks
Geno Smith contract to guarantee on Friday with the Seattle Seahawks
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Smith will remain on the Seahawks’ roster through Friday’s deadline, enabling him to collect $12.7 million in fully guaranteed cash.
Per Schefter, this does not guarantee that Smith will actually be on the Seahawks’ roster for the 2024 season.
“The Seahawks believed that, in today’s market, with salaries soaring for starting quarterbacks, the right decision was to pay the money, per sources. Now Geno Smith will represent a value to them – or any other team that decides to reach out to see if it can acquire Smith via trade. But Seattle now has locked in Smith, and Smith has locked in his $12.7 million,” report on Geno Smith contract situation.
Smith, 33, boasts a $31.2 million cap hit for the 2024 NFL season. He had zero in guaranteed cash remaining on the three-year, $75 million deal he signed with Seattle last offseason.
This is somewhat risky given how much Smith regressed in 2023 compared to a breakout 2022 campaign in the Pacific Northwest.
| Year | Comp % | Yards | TD | INT | QB rating |
| 2022 | .698 | 4,282 | 30 | 11 | 100.9 |
| 2023 | .647 | 3,624 | 20 | 9 | 92.1 |
A former second-round pick of the New York Jets back in 2013, Smith had tallied 34 touchdowns and 37 interceptions in eight seasons ahead of the 2022 campaign.
In no way does this decision mean that Seattle is locked in on Smith for the 2024 season. Any acquiring team would be on the hook for a mere $12.7 million cap hit if it were to trade for him.
It’s something to watch moving forward on the offseason.