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New chart shows how remarkable Geno Smith's turnaround with Seahawks was

Geno Smith had a historic turnaround with the Seattle Seahawks, which doesn’t always get the respect it should.
Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith looks to pass against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Soldier Field.
Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith looks to pass against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Soldier Field. | Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

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The Seattle Seahawks shocked the NFL world when they turned to Geno Smith in 2022 after trading Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. Smith then proved the team made the right decision when he had a remarkable career revival.

A second-round pick out of West Virginia in 2013, Smith began his career with the New York Jets where he started 30 games in four seasons. Smith led the Jets to a record of 12-18 before they moved. He then bounced around, playing one season for the New York Giants (2017) and the Los Angeles Chargers (2018) before signing with the Seahawks in 2019

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Smith initially backed up Wilson, starting three games in three years. He did enough to win the coaching staff over, and was named the starter in 2022, going 9-8 while throwing for 4,282 yards with 30 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.

He started the next two seasons as well, leading the Seahawks to a record of 28-24 over that period. It was a historic revival which was highlighted by a new chart showing his massive change in EPA.

The EPA measures a quarterback’s impact on scoring potential per play. Smith had dipped all the way to a -60 before taking off in Seattle. He peaked at around 60, a massive and unexpected turnaround.

Whether or not fans are happy to see Seattle move from Smith to Sam Darnold, they can’t deny he’s one of the greatest stories in franchise history.

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

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Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.