The Seattle Seahawks restuctured the contract of quarterback Geno Smith earlier this offseason, indicating that they plan on him being their starter next season.
It makes sense with Smith under a team-friendly contract. He also earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors back in 2022.
Unfortunately for Smith, his biggest proponent in the locker room is no longer there. Long-time head coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks “mutually” agreed to part ways after the 2023 season. He was replaced by Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
It’s led to some questions about the quarterback’s future in the Pacific Northwest. In speaking with a local radio station in the Pacific Northwest on Friday, Macdonald provided a rather interesting take on Smith and whether he’s guaranteed to be the starter in 2024.
This doesn’t seem like a head coach that is committed to his current QB1 moving forward. It’s surprising given the aforementioned contract restructure.
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Geno Smith stats (2023): 64.7% completion, 3,624 yards, 20 TD, 9 INT
Smith’s 2023 performance was down from a career-best previous season in which he threw for 4,282 yards with 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The Seahawks firmly believe that they can compete with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West moving forward. While that remains a questionable proposition, having someone like Smith under center would seem to make the most sense.
There are not a lot options as it relates to upgrades in NFL free agency or on the trade block.
Seattle does boast the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. It’s a draft that’s absolutely loaded at quarterback. The most likely scenario here is that the Seahawks retain Smith under his team-friendly deal and add a signal caller of the future in the annual event.