'Swag Opportunities': Seahawks QB Drew Lock Continues to Impress Pete Carroll

So much for an off-season quarterback competition. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has taken his opportunity and soared with it.

His rise this season has helped lead the Seahawks to a 6-4 record and first place in the NFC West as they enter the bye week. But simultaneously, backup quarterback Drew Lock has become somewhat of an afterthought despite some real hype that he would be the Week 1 starter after arriving to Seattle from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade.

Barring an injury, the Seahawks obviously won't be going away from Smith anytime soon. As he enters the bye week, Smith is fifth in the NFL in passing yards (2,474) and tied for fifth in passing touchdowns (17) while leading the league in completion percentage (72.8).

But should Lock be called upon, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll remains confident that he'll be able to produce based on the competitiveness he's shown in practice.

“He’s a terrific competitor," Carroll said. "He loves going against the first group. He gets a lot of chances to throw the ball at the ones, and he’s after it every day trying to make a play ... just for some swag opportunities. He has a real competitive nature about him."

Smith was likely the favorite to win the job for Carroll and the staff in the offseason and into the preseason, though they clearly wanted to see what Lock could do as well.

Unfortunately, catching COVID ahead of Seattle's second preseason game against the Chicago Bears didn't help his chances of proving he should be considered for the job. He also tossed three picks in the preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys.

In two preseason appearances, Lock went 24 of 39 for 273 yards passing, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. But Carroll said Lock is showing he can take care of the football while experiencing overall growth as well.

"He’s an active playmaker too," Carroll said. "He’s got a lot of stuff to him. I think he's really growing too. He’s becoming one of our guys and understanding how we can take care of the football, and the responsibility of carrying that position in our club.

The Seahawks have the luxury of having a solid backup in Lock, who has shown he's an NFL quarterback despite a fair share of early-career struggles with the Broncos.

But of course, Carroll wants to rely on Smith in the meantime given the fact Seattle could be headed toward a division crown.

"When he plays, he’s going to do a good job for us, and hopefully, we can do it under the right circumstances where Geno doesn’t have to come out for the wrong reasons," Carroll said of Lock.

You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7