Seahawks' Mike Macdonald Noncommittal on Geno Smith, Drew Lock: 'Can't Answer Right Now'
There was a lot of discussion on the future of Geno Smith just weeks ago as it was uncertain if he would be the one to lead the franchise in Mike Macdonald's first year as head coach.
After the Seahawks made the move to guarantee Smith's salary for the 2024 season, that put to bed the question marks over his future, for now.
But when asked about what the long-term future looks like for Smith and fellow quarterback Drew Lock, Macdonald gave nothing away.
© Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
"That's a tough question, and it's one that I probably can't answer right now," Macdonald said via KCPQ Seattle's Aaron Levine. "But we're doing a lot of work on those guys. And I've had conversations just to get to know them. Understand who they are as people and their background, goals and what their family's like and where they're from. I didn't know anything about them coming into this whole thing. So, right now we're in the phase of figuring out who they are. Obviously, one or two, or both, would fit into our plans moving forward. But right now, probably don't have that answer for you."
That isn't exactly what Smith nor Lock would want to hear, but the NFL is a brutal business, and while Geno's future for 2024 is locked in, it's uncertain beyond that. Lock is a free agent so his future is equally murky.
With Smith's cap number for the 2025 season set at $38.5 million, making him a post-June 1 cut would save Seattle $25 million in cap room.
That will likely play into discussions moving forward. Having Smith return for the 2024 season was a logical move for Macdonald, who clearly wanted to have the type of continuity that teams crave. But beyond 2024, Smith might not be in Seattle.
Let's not forget that Macdonald is still figuring out where the toilets are at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, so discussing key personnel decisions right now is probably asking a little too much.
It will be an interesting watch to see how the quarterback situation plays out over the next 12 months as Smith has clearly shown he is a capable starter in the NFL and Lock a more-than-competent backup.
But whether Macdonald sees a future for both as Seahawks is up in the air right now.
