Geno Smith wants new contract, Seahawks insider unsure if they agree on his value

The Seattle Seahawks say they want to keep Geno Smith and continue starting him at quarterback. They said the same thing about Russell Wilson, though - and Smith is now a year older than Russ was when Seattle shockingly sent him packing to Denver.

Common sense says that Geno is the team's best option to start in 2025. From a football perspective there isn't a quarterback that the team can realistically aquire this year who would be better. That doesn't mean it's in the best interests of both parties, though. If the Seahawks don't agree on a fair price for Geno's services, then there's a chance we're headed for some QB drama this offseason. Heading into the Scouting Combine, Seahawks insider Mike Dugar at The Athletic says he's keeping an eye on the QB situation, especially a potential gap on a new contract for Smith.

"Geno Smith would like a new contract. He has one of the 10 highest cap hits in the league. Seattle is several million over the salary cap. One of the ways to clear cap space to improve the roster would be to extend the 34-year-old Smith, who is on record saying he believes he’s one of the top players at his position. Does Seattle general manager John Schneider feel the same way about his quarterback, who is coming off a statistically down year? If Schneider disagrees, then what?"

Dugar is about as plugged-in as it gets for a beat reporter, so at the least we can probably assume no deal is imminent - and there may be a significant disagreement over guarantees, length, or any number or big factors in this deal.

Geno's camp can point to the aforementioned fact that he's by far their best QB1 for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the Seahawks can counter that Smith almost led the league in interceptions and he'll turn 35 years old around midseason - and the unavoidable obstacle that is their cap situation.

Remember, extending Smith would save the team a little less than $24 million in cap space, but trading Geno or outright cutting him would save Seattle $31 million. $7 million probably isn't enough to move the needle one way or another on a decision this big, but it's not nothing, either.

The Seahawks might also be able to get something in return for Smith in a trade on top of those savings, too. To name a few teams that would be getting a big QB upgrade in Geno Smith, there are the Raiders, the Giants, the Jets, the Titans, the Browns, the Saints and the Colts.

The Seahawks should do what they can to work out a new deal with Geno, but they can't force it and get tied to a questionable contract. In the meantime, they should try to sign Justin Fields to boost their backup options. If negotiations fail with Smith, then they can have Fields compete with Sam Howell for the starting job and continue to search for more options in the draft, or wait until 2026.

More Seahawks on SI stories