Geno Smith was healthy enough to dress for Seattle’s win this past Monday, but he did not get the start. After consecutive games with Drew Lock under center, Smith is on track to return to the field.
Head coach Pete Carroll indicated after the Seahawks’ win against the Eagles that Smith was expected to get the start in Week 16 (h/t Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic). To little surprise, the veteran is now off Seattle’s injury report altogether, putting him on track to re-take the top spot on the QB depth chart to close out the season while the team pushes for a wild-card spot.
The Seahawks’ chances in that regard were helped by the last-minute comeback Lock orchestrated, but Smith’s return will give Seattle’s offense a boost. Last season’s Comeback Player of the Year has not had the same success he enjoyed in 2022, but he profiles as having a higher ceiling than Lock. Smith’s performances dipped during Seattle’s recent losing streak, so it will be interesting to see if he can rebound when back on the field.
Smith’s 2022 Pro Bowl campaign earned him a significant raise on a new Seahawks deal. That three-year, $75M pact includes performance escalators and scheduled bonus payouts both before and after the beginning of the 2024 league year. As a result, a short window will exist following the current season in which the team could move on with a limited cap penalty in search of a younger option under center.
Smith’s statistics have fallen closer to his career averages in 2023 after he put up personal bests across the board last year. Many members of the team’s offense from the 2022 campaign are still in place, and the addition of first-round wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba has created another option in the passing game. It would come as little surprise if Seattle were to eye a move to a new signal-caller in place of Smith, however, especially if his late-season performance matches his other 2023 showings.
Sitting at 7-7, the Seahawks are in the mix for an NFC wild-card berth, something which would duplicate the team’s achievement from last year. Smith will earn added praise if he can guide Seattle back to the postseason, though he could be playing for his long-term future in the Emerald City over the next few weeks.
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