The Seattle Seahawks were able to re-sign Geno Smith this offseason after his breakout 2022 performance. After defeating Drew Lock in a quarterback competition during the offseason, Smith turned in a Pro Bowl season, helping lead Seattle back into the postseason.

It was an incredible turnaround from Smith, who hadn’t been a starter since 2014 with the New York Jets. The team has to be excited about the direction things are heading, as they are flush with assets to continue building up the roster.

Those assets are courtesy of the Denver Broncos, who traded a massive haul to land Russell Wilson last offseason. Five draft picks and three players were sent to the Seahawks, one of whom was Lock.

Despite losing the quarterback competition last year, Lock is someone that the Seahawks think highly of. Re-signing him this offseason is regarded as one of the best under-the-radar moves of free agency.

Seattle was able to keep their quarterback room intact when Lock opted to return to the franchise after testing the market. He signed a one-year deal worth $4 million with another $3.5 million available in incentives.

There is optimism within the organization that Lock has the skill set to develop into a very good starting quarterback. Still only 26, there is time for him to unlock that potential down the line. He is in a good situation behind Smith, which allows him to continue honing his craft.

Should Smith be forced to miss time in 2023, Pete Carroll knows that he has a backup in Lock who has experience as a starter and some upside still to be unlocked. What Lock showed in five starts as a rookie is what Seattle is hoping they can eventually unearth regularly.

For the Seahawks, bringing him back was a good move. For this season, he provides the team with a great backup quarterback option, which is one of the most important positions in the game. Eventually, he could also take over the starting quarterback position from Smith, which may be the franchise’s long-term plan under center.