Confirmed As Seahawks Starting QB, How Long is Geno Smith's Leash? - Locked On Podcast

Echoing comments from John Schneider earlier this month, the Seattle Seahawks look ready to move forward with Geno Smith under center in 2024, but a newcomer in Sam Howell may still be the future.

For the first time this offseason, new Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald committed to Geno Smith as the team's starting quarterback. But how much wiggle room will he have with Sam Howell now in town?

Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Macdonald confirmed Smith would be Seattle's starter in 2024, indicating he had spoken with the veteran quarterback and ensured him that the addition of Howell in a trade with the Commanders didn't make the job up for grabs. After earning his second straight Pro Bowl selection and orchestrating a league-high five game-winning drives in 2023, the team turned his roster bonus into a signing bonus earlier this month, a clear sign that the organization planned to roll with him once again in the second year of a three-year contract signed last March.

At the same time, however, after not committing to Smith for several weeks when granted numerous opportunities to do so, Macdonald also hinted that Howell understands he will be a backup upon arrival, he could be the successor for the Seahawks under center down the road.

"I've talked to Geno about it," Macdonald said, per NFL Media. "Very confident in Geno. Geno's going to be our starter. Sam [Howell] knows he's going to be our backup, but Sam is a great young player, and he's got a really bright future that we believe in."

On a new Locked On Seahawks, hosts Corbin Smith and Nick Lee discuss Macdonald's comments on Smith and the quarterback position, when or how Howell could emerge as a real threat for snaps under center, and dive into the first round of their first-ever Seahawks alumni March Madness tournament with 32 teams of current and former players dueling for program supremacy.

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