The Seattle Seahawks were one of the biggest surprises in the NFL during the 2022 season. A big reason for their success was the performance of Geno Smith, who beat out Drew Lock for the starting job during training camp. Starting for the first time since 2014 with the New York Jets, Smith led Seattle to a 9-8 regular season record and a postseason berth.
His performance was punctuated with a spot on the Pro Bowl team. For his efforts, the team also rewarded him with a new contract this offseason. Smith signed a three-year, $105 million deal with $40 million guaranteed and he can make as much as $52 million in Year 1 of the deal.
That contract was earned with his performance, but when taking a deeper dive into the deal, it is essentially a one-year pact. There are zero guaranteed dollars on his contract beyond 2023 and his cap hit will rise to $31.2 million in 2024.
Should the need arise for the Seahawks to move on from Smith, the opportunity will present itself. The franchise is open to all options, especially since they own the No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Head coach Pete Carroll had an interesting quote this week when discussing the quarterback position of his team. Seattle is evaluating the top signal callers in this year’s draft class but did say that everyone, including Smith, is on the same page with the plans.
“I told Geno what we were doing. We talked beforehand. He knows what’s going on. … He was great about it. He gets it. He’s been around the game. … What he will do is he’ll help him. He’s already stated that.”
It is certainly encouraging for the future of the franchise that Smith is agreeable to the plans that have been discussed. Very rarely are franchises in a position to select a potential long-term quarterback, but because of the Russell Wilson trade last offseason, the Seahawks are in that position.
Knowing that they have Smith to start at least in 2023 and potentially beyond, Seattle could be more comfortable selecting a project such as Anthony Richardson. Richardson is raw and needs time to develop, which the Seahawks can afford him. Also, owning a second first-round pick, the team can take a swing on someone such as Richardson knowing they will have another opportunity later in the round to fill a hole on the roster.
