After a disappointing 41-23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round, Geno Smith’s impressive season with the Seattle Seahawks has come to an end. While it’s an unfortunate ending, we did witness Smith drastically alter his career outlook, where he entered the season viewed as a journeyman backup who had fringe-starter potential.
Instead the 39th pick from the 2013 NFL Draft not only overtook Drew Lock in a training camp starting QB competition, but Smith had the season of his lifetime, so far. Smith not only took a Seahawks team that was largely left for dead, with a preseason over/under win total set to 5.5 games, but he led them to the playoffs.
Smith did all this in impressive fashion, leading the NFL with a completion rate of 69.8% while being named to the Pro Bowl team for the first time in his nine-year career. While Smith did more than just surpass all expectations, he now faces an interesting offseason, where he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent in a thirsty market always ready to throw money at every starting QB that becomes available.
We saw the QB he replaced get a $230 million contract extension a year ago at the age of 33, but unlike Russell Wilson, Smith has never won a Super Bowl or been to the playoffs seven times.
Still, Smith is expected to receive a large amount of cash and will have no shortage of suitors in free agency, yet it sounds like the QB wants to remain in Seattle, continuing to be coached by Pete Carroll.
Related: NFL Playoffs: Ranking the 14 head coaches and why Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is so low on the list
Speaking after Seattle’s loss to San Francisco, Smith mentioned a desire to invest in the Seahawks, just as they’ve invested in him.
“I want to finish my career in Seattle. I want to be here. The town, the city, the team. Coach Carroll, the organization, they all embraced me. You know, I was a guy who probably could have been out of the league. They embrace me and I want to repay them for that.”
Geno Smith on his desire to re-sign with the Seattle Seahawks
After seeing the instant success Smith enjoyed in his first season as a starter in Seattle, it’s hard to imagine him wanting to play anywhere else. They’re his third organization since the New York Jets moved on from him after four seasons, and he’s never played better football than what we saw this past season.
While nothing will be set in stone until he signs on the dotted line, based on Smith’s own words, it sounds like reaching a new contract agreement with the Seahawks won’t be any trouble this offseason.
Related: Predicting NFL playoff bracket and Super Bowl 2023 winner