It appears that Geno Smith’s tenure as the starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks is coming to an end. This is his third consecutive season in the position.
Considering that Smith has a $38.5 million 2025 cap hit, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic believes that the 2024 season may be his final one with the Seahawks. Dugar notes that Smith’s release at the end of this season may be due to Seattle’s young quarterback Sam Howell, whom the team acquired in a trade with the Washington Commanders earlier this offseason, being held in reserve. It is also possible that the Seahawks will attempt to select a quarterback in the spring draft, though it is unlikely that they will be selected with one of the first picks.
After moving to Seattle in 2019, Smith spent his first three years as the team’s backup to Russell Wilson. Then, in 2022, Smith took over as the starting quarterback after Wilson was dealt to the Denver Broncos. Smith stunned everyone by throwing for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while making it to the Pro Bowl. In2023, the 33-year-old proved reliable once more, despite a noticeable decline in output. He made his second straight trip to the Pro Bowl with 3,624 yards, 20 touchdowns, and nine picks in 15 games.
The new coaching staff of the Seahawks might fire Geno Smith.
Mike Macdonald took over as the Seahawks’ head coach in Seattle, replacing Pete Carroll as the team’s leader. Earlier in the summer, Macdonald did not appear overly enthusiastic about the prospect of tying the knot with Smith, though Seattle won’t have many options come September. That so, Smith is under some pressure heading into 2024, as evidenced by the Seahawks’ trade for Howell. In the event that Smith starts slowly, Macdonald can decide to bench Smith in favor of Howell without hesitation.
While playing for the Commanders last season, Howell had several promising moments and finished first in the NFL in interceptions (21). Geno Smith turns 34 in October, so even if Howell turns out not to be the Seahawks’ long-term option, Seattle will still need to start exploring elsewhere for a replacement.The Seahawks had just one losing season since 2012, going 9-8 in 2023 after winning seven games in 2021. Seattle might find it more advantageous to place close to the bottom of the standings in 2024 in order to create a more transparent path for the acquisition of its next franchise quarterback.
