When the Seattle Seahawks traded Russell Wilson in the spring of 2022, it looked like the organization was throwing in the towel on the present and starting a franchise-shifting rebuild. As many teams have done, the conventional opinion suggested Seattle was going to finish dead last in the NFC West and leverage multiple picks to get in the annual quarterback draft sweepstakes.
The sentiment was largely based on the team making no effort in signing another quarterback after acquiring Drew Lock in the Wilson deal. Pete Carroll seemed content with Geno Smith, a player who lasted only two years as a starter with the New York Jets a decade ago – throwing 34 interceptions in 29 starts – and had only started five games in the ensuing six years.
Not only did the Seahawks not tank in the post-Wilson era, they posted a 6-3 start and, while they struggled down the stretch, made the playoffs with a 9-8 record. Smith led the league in completion percentage (69.8) and successfully delivered 399 of 572 passes for 4,282 yards with 30 touchdowns, while rushing 68 times for 366 yards and another TD.
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