Geno Smith attempted to work out an extension this summer, but it quickly became clear the Seahawks were not interested in doing so. As a result, the veteran quarterback is set to play out the 2025 campaign the final season of his three-year, $75MM deal worked out last spring. 
That pact calls for $25MM in compensation for the 2025 campaign, including a $10MM roster bonus set to kick in shortly after the start of the new league year in March. With none of Smith’s base salary for the year guaranteed, a window of opportunity exists for Seattle to move on if the team decides to do so. While that would represent a surprise, another multi-year commitment should also not be expected at this point.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson writes a long-term pact near the top of the QB market is much less likely than another deal aimed at providing more stability in the immediate future. A short-term deal which allows Smith to increase his 2025 earnings with new guarantees would be a reasonable approach given the extent to which he has succeeded in filling a role atop the QB depth chart over the past three years.
Questions surrounded Seattle’s future at the position after the Russell Wilson trade, but Smith has proven to be a capable replacement with a resume now featuring the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2022 and Pro Bowl nods for each of the past two seasons. The West Virginia product has seen a slight downturn in passer rating (88.9) along with an underwhelming touchdown-to-interception ratio (13:12) this year with the Seahawks struggling up front and with respect to the ground game. Still, Seattle sits atop the NFC West with a 7-5 record and a second playoff berth in the past three years is therefore a distinct possibility.
Strong play down the stretch would help Smith’s case to secure at least an upgraded compensation package over the short term. His $25MM AAV ranks 19th amongst quarterbacks, although age is of course a factor working against the 34-year-old on that front. A move toward the top of the market (which is now $60MM per season) would require a massive raise, but an incremental one – via new guarantees and/or incentives – could be feasible but still challenging for a Seahawks team currently projected to be over the cap next season. Former Commanders draftee Sam Howell is under contract for next year, but he will no doubt still be seen as a backup option by Seattle at this point.
Smith said in October he plans on playing 20 seasons in the NFL. Reaching that mark will require multiple new contracts down the road, the first of which could be worked out this winter. How negotiations on that front proceed will be a key storyline for the Seahawks if they look to retain Smith but also leave the door open to a successor in the not-too-distant future.
Gonna have to find a better QB if the Seahawks want to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Well…I think if you don’t have one of the top 5 QBs in the league, that is a true statement for your club. I think that the Seahawks’ philosophy is that you can’t win when your QB makes $50 million+ per season. I’m thinking about Joe Burrow here. 3rd in QBR this season, and his team is headed for a top ten draft choice. The only team with a $50 million QB to win a Super Bowl is the Chiefs, and I think Mahomes cap hit was just under that, actually. I think that the Hawks will see the QB as the last piece to a championship roster, not the first. When the Seahawks return to Super Bowl contention, it will be with a dominating defense and a QB on a rookie deal. Geno Smith is a good option until then. No sense in solving the QB “issue” if the rest of the roster isn’t ready to compete for a championship.
They need to have a run game if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs.
That is back to the offensive line play and not exposing the defense for too long on the field. You are correct. I believe that the phrase used is “complimentary football”. Every team that makes a deep play off run will be playing “complimentary football”!
Gonna have to start from scratch. Start with the horrendous defense.
That is a luke warm take. Since the bye week and Ernest Jones acquisition, the Seahawks have a top defense. Plus, Nwosu is back.
Teacher- you been away for a month? The last 4g the Hawks Defense is showing what it can do when it finally gets healthy. Over those past 4g the SEA Defense has been a Top 5 Defense and they get one more top player back this weekend -Nwosu. Just ask the AZ Cardinals if the SEA Defense is horrendous. They couldn’t score a TD all day
He’s a really good quarterback. It’s a shame he didn’t hit his stride until his 30s.
@Oooof
Really good is a little too much
he’s decent.
He’s been a top 15 quarterback. Any team drafting a QB in this year’s draft would be thrilled if he turned out to be as good as Geno has been the last couple of years. I’m not calling him a superstar, but I’m comfortable calling him very good.
If a team drafts a QB in the first round and he ends up being mid, they will not be thrilled. A nearly 1:1 TD to Int ratio is not really good, regardless of the Oline play.
Hopeful that he can clear his head in those tough situations, but he’s proving that mistakes will be as frequent as big plays.
This is a very dicey quarterback class. I think this year someone will be glad if they take one of these guys and he ends up top 15. Unlike last year.
In 5 years (2 back up 3 full time starter)
Smiths thrown for almost 12,000 yards, 68% comp, 68 TDs and this year isn’t even over yet.
3 years average about 4,000 yards, 68%, and 22 TDS I’m sure many teams would take that production.
QBR wise he’s finished 7th, 14th, currently 18th.
I think a team like the browns should definitely bring him in to compete and beat out Watson
Counting postseason, he is 25-23 as a starter.
2024
Offense #16 currently
Defense #18 currently
2023
Offense #21
Defense # 30
2022
Offense # 13
Defense # 26
Smith is easy top 15.
I don’t blame them. He’s reckless with the ball. That 103 yard pick six while in the red zone a few weeks back was the epitome of it. He should have just taken the sack.
I would ride it out with Geno for the remainder of this season, but I wouldn’t be afraid to turn to Howell next year.
@myaccount2
Sam Howell is also reckless with the ball.
jameis Winston 2.0
He’s also 24. Geno is 34 and still making those same mistakes.
And Howell has the same number of INT’s as TD’s in his young career.
“Young” career being the optimum word. At least Howell has room to grow. Geno is on the downhill of his career and is still reckless with the ball. Hard to see him changing much.
I would rather have a 24 year old who is reckless because he wants to prove himself and win than a 34 year old who hasn’t learned how to tamp that down. Geno isn’t terrible, he’s just not the answer.
Hawks are currently looking at a $15million deficit again the cap next year so something’s gotta give.They should go with Howell and cut or renegotiate Lockett’s contract and invest those savings in the O-line…2026 class has a few potential QB’s.
Whether Wilson or Smith, the offensive line just hasnt been good enough. I like Walker but he has to break tackles to get any yardage.
@brian
For sure, they’ve relied on their defense for too long.
they need to build o-line.
Geno Oh-no shouldn’t be back for 2025 season. I have never seen a QB this weak since Dave Krieg. Even a mild breeze will drop Geno to the ground.
Not much wind in those domed stadiums. Allegiant stadium might be a good fit while the Raiders figure out where to find a franchise QB.
Geno has been a nice surprise for the Hawks. No one thought he would get starting job after Russ trade but has done good. Got some wins, made team competitive. He was never thought of as long term answer. Gave the team chance to shore up some other areas in draft. It is time though to make change for the future. Bring in long term answer which is not easy but time to look at doing it.
I agree, but Seattle is going to have to finally invest in that offensive line. Wilson ended up being such a scrambler that they got away with it for many years, but then they became locked in to that style.
Seattle could take Shedeur or Ward and hope that their mobility and quick thinking compensates for that deficiency, but even then they still need protection. Better yet, Seattle needs a line that can run block consistently to take pressure off those guys. It’s time to plan for the future at QB, but Seattle unfortunately is going to also have to invest mightily up front to protect whomever it is that they put back there.
I agree..line has been issue long time.
To add, I only listed Shedeur because he’s a top prospect. I actually don’t think that he’s that mobile, and his penchant for holding the ball coupled with that would make Seattle, as currently constructed, less than ideal for him. He also likes playing in structure more than improvising, but his quick processing helps if he needs to. I doubt that he’ll be there for the Seahawks, but stranger things have happened.
Really, though, this is less of a Shedeur issue and more of a philosophical issue for the team. They can try to offset the offensive line by drafting a mobile quarterback who makes improvised plays out of structure, like Wilson, or they can invest in a steady offensive line and bolster the run game to play with a more traditional quarterback. Whether that’s Sanders or someone else, I can’t see how a significant offensive line investment is avoidable in either case.
I think personally that, even if they choose the improvisational approach, they still need to get offensive linemen-they’ll just need to be more attuned to run blocking than pass blocking. They tried with Williams, to their credit, but his loss just makes that gap more noticeable. I’m not sure how many QBs are there in this draft that can both be the future and also compensate for a lack of pass protection.
You’re absolutely right about the Offensive line. I don’t think they could go wrong by picking Shedeur Sanders if he fell that far, but I think Mateer might be available and he would be a good fit.
Would it be possible to trade for a good QB on a bad team like Joe Burrow?? I know that rarely ever happens, but this upcoming draft is not looking very promising on the QB front.
They’d have to pay a lot of Burrow … not sure if all the draft picks would be worth it.
I agree draft is not great for qb…haven’t looked to see about libe though. Might be best to prepare for next draft this upcoming one with line etc.
Zero chance the Bengals trade Burrow.
I agree
He’s getting injured more often now and the Bengals can’t void the contract for another 6 years. I think Joe will be a financial albatross for Cincy at the end the same way Eli Manning was for the Giants.
He’s 11 years younger than Manning was in the end and he’s played some of the best football of his life this year.
Well a lot can happen between now and 2030…we can compare notes then and see if the Bengals got good value for their $275MM investment.
They could cut him do-ably in 2027 and easily in 2028, and he’s currently having a career year in which he’s thrown every pass for the team. I wouldn’t worry too much. Most of the teams in the league would take that contract in a heartbeat to have him.
Ak
lot of the success Russ had was due to being mobile…when he ran to the outside he had the strength to make the long pass or run. Mobile qb can make a libe look good. The up coming draft class is less than stellar. They might have to look for other options
No argument from me at all on that. Having Wilson sort of bailed out the Seahawks at first, but over time it became hard to find linemen who could adapt to his playstyle in the waning years. I think that investing in the line this year could be a good idea.
The Seahawks as well might consider looking at possibly another receiver to pair with Smith-Njiba two years from now. Lockett is getting up there, and Metcalf’s trade value is at its highest right now. Investing in a few foundation pieces for the eventual quarterback might not be a bad idea. That’s why I think that Seattle could do well to play Geno for one more year, but he may be unwilling to take a short deal in lieu of a long term commitment. Howell starting a year wouldn’t be bad, I don’t think, if Smith ends up leaving. However they decide to go, investing in the line needs to be a priority. Walker could use some help on his end, as well as the need to bump up the pass protection.
That’s why they should go with Howell for a year, invest in the O-line and perfect the defense. Then take a QB from the 2026 class.
Geno Smith is objectively a better QB than Howell. The only reason to go with Howell over an affordable Smith is if you are not trying to compete for a playoff spot. The only reason to start Howell for 17 games is if you are trying to tank, like the Commanders did, in order to draft a good QB.
Ehhh is it really by much, though? Plus, Howell is younger and has a chance to evolve, unlike Smith. As many issues as the Seahawks have, their offense is unequivocally better than Washington’s was in Howell’s only year starting. They have a three deep WR corps, even if the line isn’t good, and a much more stable environment. Smith is probably better at the moment, but 13-12 doesn’t exactly scream “objectively better” to me in 2024. Two years is the only time in his career that he’s thrown 30 TDS, and last year is his next best, with exactly 20. After that, his next highest total is 13, from his rookie year. Those aren’t exactly insurmountable stats.
I’m not advocating a change at all, but it’s not ridiculous to start Howell next year if Geno doesn’t re-up (the latter of which would be my first choice as the Seahawks to keep consistency environment wise so the next QB doesn’t walk into a crapshoot from a tanking team). Both of these guys will turn the ball over, and both probably can be expected to throw similar touchdown numbers right now. The chance that Howell improves with better receivers and not hero balling isn’t minuscule, even if another year of Geno might be better right now.
Geno is under contract for 2025. What they are talking about is an extension because he actually is out of guaranteed dollars. I think Smith can still evolve in Grubb’s offense, even though he isn’t as young as Howell. I don’t buy the hype on Howell. I think he is closer to Charlie Whitehurst or Matt Flynn than Russell Wilson or Geno Smith. He is fine as a backup because if your starter misses significant time your season is toast anyway, but he isn’t going to out play Geno Smith if they are on the same roster.
In defense of Howell, he played well last year until the turnovers and terrible Commanders defense took the team south. We all know McDonald will fix this defense. I believe the fire that Howell has, can make him a better QB in the future for this team. We will see if he can be the cheaper option while the team goes after better linemen. Its still incredible that Donovan Smith, who played well in the SB for the Chiefs, is still out there for pickup? Yes, injuries and penalties can be a problem but playoff teams could use him as insurance, even in Seattle.
When people show you who they are, you should believe them. Jayden Daniels is playing with nearly the same players that Howell was. There were not a lot of major upgrades to that roster, especially on the offense. Howell is a fifth round QB who was 4-13 in his 17 starts last year. Those are facts. The rest is speculation and hope. From what the Seahawks were saying in camp and sports media was reporting that watched him play, Geno was the better QB, and it wasn’t close. Howell is the backup QB of the future!
The Redskins defense is much better this year.
The Commanders are improved on defense. I’m sure Howell would have thrown fewer interceptions if the defense was better. I think he is a fine backup. You have to do mental gymnastics about potential and arm strength to ignore the facts of his 17 starts. The reality is that he is a 5th round draft choice that is 4–13 when he got his chance to start. I don’t hate Howell. He just isn’t a better QB option than Geno Smith in 2025.
Considering the success of any qb is comparable with the assets accompanying him. We will see what Geno gots on a builder. He makes Seahawks look like a builder when they are stacked.