The Seattle Seahawks are hoping to remain in the playoff hunt after their critical game against the New York Jets in Week 17, and Geno Smith insists that is all he is focused on.
Smith, of course, was taken by the Jets in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He started 29 games across his first two seasons. New York seemingly began to move on from Smith in 2015 after a teammate sucker-punched the former West Virginia star in the locker room and broke his jaw over an alleged money dispute. The Jets let Smith walk when his rookie contract expired after the 2016 season.
It would only be natural for Smith to treat Sunday as a revenge game. He insists he is not. Smith told reporters on Thursday that he is motivated to play well against his former team because he wants Seattle to reach the postseason.
“I just feel like the importance of it is that we need a win to get to the playoffs,” Smith said, via John Boyle of Seahawks.com. “Obviously, there will be some speculation and talk about that, it comes with the territory; it’s to be expected. I have a lot of love for the Jets, the organization, and the people that are still there that were there when I got drafted. For me and this team, it’s business as usual, another week to prepare and a tough challenge for us to go out there and try to get this win. We need it.”
Smith threw 25 touchdown passes compared to a whopping 34 interceptions in two years as the Jets’ starter. He then went on to serve in a backup role with the Giants, Chargers and Seahawks for two years before he won the starting job this season. You could argue that his play in 2022 has shown that the Jets put him in a bad situation, which is something they have done for years with their quarterbacks.
The Seahawks were expected to be one of the worst teams in football after they lost Russell Wilson. Instead, they are 7-8 and have a realistic chance of making the playoffs. If Smith can boost Seattle’s postseason prospects by beating his former team, it would obviously be that much sweeter.
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