The Seahawks had a major decision to make on starting quarterback Geno Smith this week. Yesterday we learned in a report from Adam Schefter at ESPN that Smith will be staying on the roster through today, therefore his $12.7 million base salary for the 2024 season becomes fully guaranteed.
That means for now Smith will continue to be the guy leading Seattle’s offense, even as the coaching staff around him is in the midst of seismic changes. The most-significant as far as Smith is concerned is new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who spoke with the media yesterday for the first time since he was hired. Here’s what he had to say about No. 7, per Seahawks.com:
“He’s a competitor. He wants to be coached; he wants to be the best. It means a lot to him. And just hearing his story and his growth as a player and a person is inspiring honestly. So, I’m really fired up and looking forward to coaching him and Drew both. They’re both wonderful guys and they’re competitors.”
As for the results, Smith’s numbers dipped a bit this season compared to 2022. However, that coincided with a league-wide turndown in offensive production. He’s still playing at a fringe top-10 level and his contract remains a good value given what the Seahawks are getting from him – especially in the clutch. Smith elevated his game in the fourth quarter, leading five game-winning drives this year – setting a new NFL record.
Inspiring as he is, Smith is still a 33 year-old starter who is probably best described as an extended bridge QB. As Schefter insinuated after his report, allowing Smith’s base salary to become guaranteed makes him a whole lot more tradeable.
The Seahawks believed that, in today’s market, with salaries soaring for starting quarterbacks, the right decision was to pay the money, per sources. Now Geno Smith will represent a value to them – or any other team that decides to reach out to see if it can acquire Smith via… https://t.co/3W45jFIhMn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 15, 2024
The team now has a one month window to decide if they want to deal Smith, as a $9.6 million roster bonus kicks in on March 17.
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