Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald curiously noncommittal on Geno Smith

Geno Smith seems to be the best option to start at quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks in 2024. However, he's far from a lock in the mind of first-year head coach Mike Macdonald. 

Appearing on 93.3 KJR, Macdonald skated around the topic when given the chance to commit to Smith as the team's starter. 

"I'm excited for Geno to come in here and start playing and start working," Macdonald said. "I don't want you to feel like I'm dodging the answer, but that's what I'm excited about, for him to come in here and start to build this team the way we envision building it." 

While Macdonald's comments aren't damning, they're far from a ringing endorsement. Furthermore, the head coach shared a similar statement in February when asked about the future of Smith and backup Drew Lock. 

Smith is still a member of the Seahawks with two seasons remaining on a three-year, $75 million deal, and Lock has since re-signed. So, they obviously factor into the team's immediate plans. However, Macdonald's remarks leave the possibility of adding a QB during the NFL Draft in April wide open. 

Picking at No. 16, the Seahawks will probably be too deep in the draft order to grab one of the top-ranked prospects. Still, as Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic noted, general manager John Schneider always has an eye on QBs and may take a shot on someone like Washington's Michael Penix Jr.  

Macdonald has only been on the job for roughly a month, so to expect him to make lock-in roster decisions at this point is a little unrealistic. Nevertheless, his consistent dancing around the issue has only increased speculation over a possible change at QB in the near future.