Geno Smith cites respect factor ‘disconnect’ prior to Seahawks exit

Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is looking forward to a fresh start. Smith, who spent the past five seasons with Seattle, was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders where he will be reunited with former head coach Pete Carroll.

Smith spent some time discussing his reunion with NFL Insider Albert Breer, and expressed his excitement to be back with Carroll. He also dove into his fit under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly as well as what it’s like working with Tom Brady.

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Of course, the topic of his former team came up and Smith was honest about his feelings. While he had positive things to say about head coach Mike Macdonald, Smith felt disrespected when it came to contract discussions.

“Obviously, they have young guys in the building that they want to step up and be leaders, and they got a new head coach last year,” Smith says via Breer. “And Mike was good for us, and I really enjoyed being with him for that season. But again, man, when you’re talking about business, and you’re talking about a quarterback who wants not only to get paid—every player wants to get paid—but to be respected, that’s the most important thing. It’s the respect factor. And I just felt like there was a disconnect there.”

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith leaves the field following the game against the Los Angeles Rams | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It’s interesting to see Seattle wanted to put an out in Smith’s deal since they were able to do so with his replacement. Sam Darnold signed a three-year, $105 million contract but the Seahawks can cut ties after one year.

Seattle took a lot of heat for moving on from Smith and replacing him with Darnold, who is being called a downgrade. The problem with that criticism is knowing that Smith is the one who initiated the exit.

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In the end, Seattle landed someone they feel confident in and Smith found a home where he feels respected.

Hopefully, this can be the rare win-win for all parties.