Efforts from Geno Smith‘s camp to secure an extension this year did not produce a deal. After all, the Seahawks have their starting quarterback on a team-friendly deal that runs through the 2025 season. As Smith moves closer to a contract year, the need for a resolution will arise.
The Seahawks have Smith tied to a three-year, $75MM deal. As the market has soared well beyond the $50MM-per-year level — to the point Dak Prescott is now at $60MM AAV — Smith’s contract is in no-man’s land. He is the only passer sandwiched between Gardner Minshew‘s would-be bridge-starter deal (two years, $25MM) and Baker Mayfield‘s three-year, $100MM pact. Previous reports have pegged the Seahawks as hesitant on their current passer, which is not good news for the Russell Wilson successor due to his age.
[RELATED: Smith Aiming For 20-Year NFL Career]
Set to play an age-35 season next year, Smith is moving toward QB limbo. He will again pursue a commitment from the Seahawks in 2025, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who adds the team is expected to do work on a potential successor.
Although Seattle was connected to Patrick Mahomes in 2017 — though, the future Kansas City icon did not fall especially close to where the Seahawks were drafting that year — and then “poked around” on Josh Allen in 2018, the team stayed with Wilson and then took a low-cost route to replacing him via Smith, who had been the potential Hall of Famer’s backup from 2019-21.
Needing to beat out Drew Lock to replace Wilson in 2022, Smith was tied to a one-year, $3.5MM deal that year. He delivered a stunning Comeback Player of the Year effort and received a substantial raise, though the contract did not closely rival where the Giants went for Daniel Jones or what the Saints did to sign Derek Carr that offseason. The market has passed Smith by, and it will be interesting to see how his camp proceeds.
QBR places Smith a few decimal points above Wilson this season, slotting the ex-teammates at Nos. 21 and 22. The former Jets washout has not been able to sustain his 2022 form, but he has been far from the central concern in Seattle, regularly showing plus form. If the Seahawks entertained trading Smith, a starter market would likely form. He is on pace to eclipse his career-high yardage mark set in 2022, having passed for 4,097 in 16 games this season. Smith’s 70.2% completion rate also outflanks his then-NFL-best 69.8 mark from 2022. Though, untimely interceptions have also been a key component for the 12th-year veteran this season; his TD-INT ratio sits at 17-15.
With nine wins thus far, the Seahawks will not be close to the top of the 2025 draft order. A route to adding one of next year’s top prospects does not seem to exist. The team showed interest in Anthony Richardson in 2023, when it held the No. 5 overall pick, and hosted Bo Nix on a visit this year. But Smith has remained the unchallenged starter. While the Seahawks may not be thrilled with their QB’s play, finding a surefire upgrade in 2025 will not be easy.
A short-term deal could benefit both sides here, as it would add to the career earnings of a player who never secured a notable veteran contract after his Jets exit. While Smith will probably fall short of what he could have fetched on this market, another middle-class contract would allow the Seahawks another offseason to find a potential successor — should one not emerge this year — but Smith will obviously have to weigh that type of commitment against what he could earn as a 2026 free agent. Plenty of moving parts exist here, and this will be one of the many QB situations to monitor in 2025.
Breaking News. QB who is tied second with interceptions wants more money and loyalty from current team. More at 11
He’s is t really that good, he’s Winston in a better situation..
He’s a slightly more consistent Winston with a better WR tandem. That’s about it
I would never compare a guy with a 70% completion percentage to Winston.
Well I just did. Besides better comp% he’s as I stated. Better WRs and slightly better O Line but he and Winston aren’t that different lmao
He has a catastrophic line this year and an offense that doesn’t run the ball enough.
Seahawks? Yeah it was odd Waller decreased in touches this year even before injuries
Yep. And Charbonnet is a really good #2 back. But they’ve run the ball the fourth fewest times in the NFL, even though it’s not like they’re always playing from behind.
No wonder last night was a sh!tshow lol
They should look into quarterbacks because of his age, but I think his downturn this year has an awful lot to do with them having a bottom three interior line and bottom tier line altogether. He’s still a good starting QB in a league where a bunch of teams need that.
My money is on a day 2 development guy
The amount that teams will spend this year looks like it will pale in comparison to the returns. I’m not certain about Shedeur or Ward, but chances are that Seattle won’t get a crack at either. Even if they ended up being great, they’re probably going before the Seahawks pick, and I’m not sure that would be a good idea to start either one right away.
I feel like most teams needing a quarterback are better off waiting for next year. In any case, holding on to Geno for the next year seems like a prudent solution. In any scenario, another year of Smith behind center seems like the best solution, unless Seattle wants to give Howell d year to audition while they gather capitol.
Or maybe Milroe drops to Seattle and they plan to keep Geno as bridge guy while he develops
If that’s the case, the Hawks need to pay Geno less to be able to spend more on an O-line. Geno cannot have a $38M cap hit next year and the Hawks be able to add the supporting assets he so obviously needs. He’s just not that good to command that much of the pie.
Having the QB with the tenth highest cap hit is no excuse for spending about the least on offensive line in the whole league.
Seahawks do not have the cap money to spend. It’s tied up in the defense and a pretty darn expensive WR group. Geno has tools, but it’s not enough. It’s pretty obvious that he is a system QB and not a difference-maker. Thus, it’s only logical to proceed as such. You cannot pay Geno and still expect the Hawks to have a good O-line, a good defense, and good WRs (which are all things he needs to succeed).
What do you think you’re getting a starting NFL QB for, Chester? Genuinely curious.
You can win paying Geno around $15M. That frees up the $20M you need to upgrade to O-line. Geno cannot do enough by himself to warrant more than that on a winning team. I guess we could continue paying him $35M, but 8 – 9 wins is about all you should expect. Stuck in a pattern of mediocrity, like the Hawks have been in since Geno took over. He’s never won more than 9 games, it’s getting pretty hard to argue that he’s still “the guy.”
You’re not getting any starting caliber NFL QB for 15m, man. You’re not. I’m not trying to even build a case here that Geno is “the guy”, but he is better than just having a guy. Winning 8-9 games a season in the NFL isn’t easy. If the Seahawks won’t go to 30m, I guarantee you another QB needy team in the league will.
There is also no reason a competent NFL GM can’t upgrade the OL while paying a QB 35m under the cap. I’m not incredibly familiar with the Seahawks needs there, but interior OL aren’t expensive in FA; and OT is something you could look at in the draft. Any GM claiming they can’t build a roster while paying a QB 35m should immediately be fired, because what happens if you find a great QB you eventually have to pay 60m?
Gardner Minshew makes $12.5m. We all love Gardner, but he ain’t Geno Smith.
It’s just a tough spot for the Hawks. having a good QB like Geno, we will always desire an upgrade. But dumping Geno is dangerous because who says we’ll actually upgrade? May end up truly in the QB wilderness
Gardner is a backup and that’s been clear for years. He only got $12.5m b/c Vegas needed him to pretend to be a starter this season. Starting QBs are minimum $30M nowadays and the others available like Darnold will cost more than that.
If I’m the Seahawks GM, I wouldn’t make a long-term commitment to Smith, either. I probably would offer 2yrs/70m, though. It gives Geno a little pay bump, as well as an opportunity to pad his career earnings. It also gives the Seahawks time to consider their future at the position while also keeping a player in the fold that knows the offense.
That makes sense. There should be middle class quarterback contracts that are clear starter money, but much less than top ten guys.
Great plan to stay mediocre!
So, would you prefer they tank then? If you’re dumping your starting QB without any type of plan, that’s your future. The Raiders did it, and look how that turned out.
Thirty-five million a year is not a ton of money for a starting QB in the NFL. If you’re not willing to pay that, you’re either trading away a plethora of picks to move up in the draft, starting a developmental QB from day 1, or looking at a guy like Minshew. All solid plans to be less than mediocre.
I would prefer to try something other than a guaranteed 9 win season. If that means losing, so be it. The Hawks would be in better position to actually address the QB situation through the draft at that point. No hope of winning meaningful games is not the success you think it is.
See, I disagree there. I’m not a Seahawks fan though, so I’m not really going to argue against you there. If that’s what you’re ok with, cool.
Personally, I’d rather my favorite team consistently win 9 and always have that puncher’s chance to be better. Yes, there are times you have to rebuild. I think some fans are generally a little too quick wanting to see their favorite team do it, though.
They moved their franchise QB 3 years ago. With no plan to move forward, they’ve turned to his backup for 3 seasons now. Results are the same, but his salary keeps going up. It’s time to move on.
When did they draft Russell? 2012. They could’ve tanked like you want for Andrew Luck. I was actually for that, but I learned my lesson. Seahawks got a lot more @75 than Indy did from Luck or the Redskins did from RG3.
I don’t want to tank. Never said that. I said I want try something else, and if we lose, so be it. Choosing the same mediocre team is not sound strategy.
I just think the Seahawks should keep Geno until we have his replacement in house. Let the down years be 9-8 and 10-7
Chester, we don’t want to be 1st pick terrible, or top 5 pick terrible. It’s unwatchable.
There’s plenty of bust QBs available at the top of the draft, so it’s not a guarantee you actually get better. Sometimes you end up in the same no-man’s land you think you’re getting out of by dumping Geno.
There’s also other avenues to get a QB – Lamar went 32nd, Hurts went 2nd round. Trade for McCarthy.
I’d rather have playoff hopes now than need a paper bag over my head.
Go get one then. You’re just treading water with Geno. How many more red zone picks do you need to see?
Chester, you must remember that one outcome of your plan is there’s no red zone picks because you never get to the red zone.
Rather tread water @ 9/10 wins than tread water like they are in Vegas, Cleveland, and New York x2.
Don’t be so fixated on a top 10 pick solving QB problem
Drafting early doesn’t guarantee QB success.
With the weak QB draft class, they’ll need a vet QB.
Rodgers maybe for a year if he can put his wanna be GM desire aside? He doesn’t throw picks, which would be an upgrade from Geno.
Then draft OL and D.
Why on earth would you swap out Geno for the whole Rodgers circus?
Especially if they don’t upgrade the OL. He’d be out after the first game (like 2023).
Because Rodgers is better…?
Sherminator has a point, though. Putting a veteran QB behind that line is asking for trouble.
That’s why I wrote draft OL.
Seahawks would be in the playoffs if they had someone who would avoid red zone picks. Rodgers might not carry a team alone, but he can do that.
I agree with that. I don’t know if it’s the right or wrong move, but I don’t think that the hypothetical result should be dismissed.
Dude is a transitional qb at best, that said I hope Seahawks sign him to a massive deal lol
If Geno’s QBR is higher than Russell Wilson’s, then QBR is bogus.
Russell was good for 3 games this season and throws even worse interceptions than Geno. He’s been bad lately and they should be starting Fields if he’s healthy and just running 70% of the time.
Geno would only get extended if he could be bought for reasonable value. However, If Rams win Saturday, I would expect the Seahawks to sit Geno and give a full week’s worth of QB prep to Sam Howell. He then gets to show off his skills & they can assess his potential as a future successor. If he plays like a lousy backup, they need to move on.
Good chance we’re not 100% eliminated with Strength of Victory before Week 18.
Although this does recall a great moment in Seahawks history, when Pete tabbed Charlie Whitehurst to start a winner-take-all game versus St. Louis, even though a banged-up Hasselbeck was able to go. Touchdown Jesus truly performed many miracles, leading a thrilling 13-6 victory on Sunday Night Football that set the stage for The Beast Quake!!
Geno would be the perfect guy to sign as a bridge for a team taking a QB high.Seattle shouldn’t let him walk unless they know they can do better.
Seattle should explore trade options. If a team is dumb enough to give a first round pick for him grab it. I hope nobody would be that dumb but a couple NY teams seem to fit the bill. Geno is probably a 3-4 round pick to the right team. I wouldn’t go over a 5th.
Genos stats are fog. It might look pretty on the Mts in the morning. It is hell to drive in anytime. He has the arm but can’t decipher who to throw the ball to. He has some type of hatred for DK he never throws him the ball. Or rarely.
Hawks can give Howell a chance or get a cheap FA. Then they need to draft interior lineman. Our tackles are fine. Lucas started late because of an injury from last year. Cross has been fine. The kid we got from Mich has taken a bit but shown promise. I wouldn’t be hurt if they drafted one to take his place. I would prefer at this point not to sign high priced Vets. Unless they are monsters and young.
This sounds like tanking but to me it is the way to build the team. D is pretty good. WR and RB are fine if K9 can stay healthy. We need 2 OL and another pass rusher. 3 line positions we need filled. Fill the OL spot before the QB spot. We can’t keep Geno because he is a child. He will pout and stomp around the building if he even comes in. He has exhibited this behavior multiple times on the field and sidelines. Hopefully he is not in a Hawks uni next season.