Report: Seahawks Re-Sign Veteran QB Geno Smith
Following several weeks of negotiations, the Seahawks plan to give veteran Geno Smith a chance to compete for their starting quarterback job in 2022.
According to Jordan Schultz, Seattle plans to re-sign Smith, who spent the past three seasons with the organization as a backup to Russell Wilson. The team has yet to officially announce a deal, but per Bob Condotta of the Seattle times, he's expected to have a base salary between $3.5-4 million with incentives pushing the contract up to $7 million.
Smith, 31, only saw action in one game during his first two seasons with the Seahawks, taking snaps at the end of a blowout win over the Jets. But after Wilson suffered a ruptured tendon in his right middle finger during a Week 5 loss to the Rams, he stepped into the starting lineup to replace him for the next three games.
While Seattle only managed to win one of those contests, Smith performed admirably under difficult circumstances. Completing north of 68 percent of his passes, he threw five touchdowns compared to just one interception and posted a 103.0 passer rating, the highest of his career. Unfortunately, a late fumble cost his team a chance to pull of a road win in Pittsburgh and they also came up just short against New Orleans the following week.
In four games, including taking over for Wilson after he was hurt, Smith also built an immediate rapport with DK Metcalf and the two hit off famously as he hooked up with the former All-Pro receiver 17 times on 21 pass attempts for 251 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 156.1 passer rating. This included an 84-yard touchdown strike to open scoring in an Week 7 loss to the Saints.
After trading Wilson to the Broncos last month, coach Pete Carroll made it clear in multiple interviews that the Seahawks wanted Smith back despite the fact the quarterback was arrested for a DUI after their season finale in January. The two sides had been in contract talks since before the start of free agency.
When asked if Drew Lock, who was acquired in the trade, could lead the team to a championship in a press conference on March 16, Carroll made sure to throw Smith's name into the conversation, saying the veteran "knows our offense best."
"I'd like to get Geno hooked up and get him back in [here]," Carroll remarked. "He showed us a good deal of command of our offense when he played last year and he has a terrific understanding of it so he's out in front of the other guys that are involved in the competition in that regard."
With Smith set to return, especially when considering his base salary tripled compared to his previous contract, he should have his first legitimate opportunity at a starting job since he played with the Jets earlier in his career. As things stand, the Seahawks have three quarterbacks on their roster with Lock and Jacob Eason also under contract. It's possible the team could add to that group selecting a rookie in the draft later this month as well.
As for the possibility of adding Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield to the fold, while the former No. 1 pick may be hoping to end up in Seattle, the team won't be in a rush to make a move on that front until that draft and likely would prefer to wait until he's been released rather than trade for him. With that said, Smith coming back shouldn't deter them from making that move eventually if they wish to.
