Geno Smith Knows Where He Wants to Play in 2023
The Seattle Seahawks' special season came to an end Saturday night, losing to the San Francisco 49ers, 41-23, in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Just making the playoffs and getting ousted in the first game of it doesn't necessarily equate to a successful year in the NFL, but for a team like the Seahawks, it was about surpassing everyone's expectations. No one believed they would win more than five games all year long with former West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith leading the way, replacing longtime franchise QB Russell Wilson.
Smith, who hadn't been a full-time starter in the league since 2014, had a career year throwing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions. He set multiple franchise records, including the most passing yards in a single season. Now, Smith is set to hit free agency entering his age 33 season. When asked about how he plans to handle this offseason and his future, he responded with no hesitancy about where he wants to be.
"I want to finish my career in Seattle. I want to be here," said Smith. "The town, the city, the team, Coach [Pete] Carroll, the organization, they all embraced me. I was a guy who probably could have been out of the league. They embraced me. I want to repay them for that.
"A part of me says man, we came such a long way. Overcame so many obstacles. Of course, the naysayers and what not...beat their expectations. But I don't think we beat our own expectations. I think we had far greater expectations for ourselves. So, what I see for this team is a team with a bright future. A lot of young guys on this team that got a lot of experience. First playoff game, my first playoff start. We've got a long ways to go. I'm excited about the future. I know we can be a lot better. It's just going to take a lot of commitment. I'm in it for the long haul. I'm ready to go."
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