Geno Smith - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Seahawks QB Competition

May 19th, 2022 at 6:57pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks may be having an open competition for their starting QB spot. However, veteran Geno Smith‘s familiarity with the offense gives him the early lead over newcomer Drew Lock. During a recent radio appearance, Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron admitted that Smith is the current front runner for the starting gig.

“Right now, Geno has done such a good job of carrying over (the offensive principles from 2021). He already had a head start over Drew right there,” Waldron (h/t to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). “We have a long time to go. We are just in T-shirts and shorts right now, going against air. We have a long way to go to see where this competition (goes).”

The Seahawks were apart of the quarterback carousel when they dealt Russell Wilson to Denver, but they surprisingly haven’t been on the receiving end of the continuous turnover. The team has seemingly distanced themselves from available QBs like Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo, and they’re prepared to navigate this post-Wilson era with either Smith, who spent the last three seasons as Seattle’s backup, or Lock, a former second-round pick acquired in the Broncos trade.

It’s obviously in the organization’s best interest to develop the 25-year-old Lock vs. the 31-year-old Smith, although Lock’s impending free agency certainly adds some uncertainty to the situation. Lock has largely struggled as a starter, and while the ex-Mizzou prospect did play in two offensive systems in his first two years, Teddy Bridgewater beat him out for Denver’s QB1 job last year and held him off throughout the Broncos’ time in playoff contention. This came after the strong-armed passer tied for the 2020 interception lead, with 15, despite missing three-plus games. Smith has made five starts over the past seven seasons. Three of those came last season, with the former second-round pick did show some promise, completing 68% of his passes on 7.4 yards per attempt — numbers superior to his Jets-era work, albeit in a small sample size — and finishing with a 5-to-1 TD-INT ratio.

Contract Details: Jarrett, Akins, Green, Verrett, Smith, Trubisky

May 7th, 2022 at 6:50pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on deals recently reached around the NFL:

Grady Jarrett, DT (Falcons): Three-year, $50.47MM. The contract, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, includes a guaranteed amount of $34.47MM consisting of a $16.5MM signing bonus and the full amounts of the 2022 and 2023 base salaries worth $1.47MM and $16.5MM, respectively. The deal includes roster bonuses of $1MM each due on the fifth day of the 2024 league year and the 2025 league year. Jarrett’s base salary for the 2024 and 2025 seasons will see an increase of $500,000 each if he makes the Pro Bowl in the 2023 or 2024 seasons, respectively.
Jordan Akins, TE (Giants): One-year, $1.09MM. The deal, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, is composed of a base salary of $1.04MM with a signing bonus $50,000. Under the veteran salary benefit, Akins will only have a salary cap hit of $945,000.
Rasheem Green, DE (Texans): One-year, $3.25MM. The contract, according to Wilson, includes a guaranteed amount of $1MM consisting of a $500,000 signing bonus and $500,000 of the base salary worth $1.5MM total. Green will receive a $500,000 workout bonus and a per game active bonus of $44,177 for a potential season total of $750,000.
Jason Verrett, CB (49ers): One-year, $1.04MM. Verrett’s deal has an injury waiver which leaves none of the money guaranteed for the 30-year old who has spent his fair share of time on the injured reserve during his career. Under the veteran salary benefit, Verrett will only have a salary cap hit of $895,000.
Geno Smith, QB (Seahawks): Refiled one-year, $3.5MM. Original details posted here. The deal, according to Wilson, has a signing bonus of $500,000 and a base salary of $1.26MM. The contract lists a roster bonus of $1.69MM and a workout bonus of $50,000. Additionally there is a Week 1 roster bonus of $585,000 due to Smith on September 15. Smith will receive a per game bonus of $30,000 whether active or inactive with that bonus increasing to $65,000 if Smith is active for a low season total of $510,000 and a potential season total of $1.12MM if Smith spends the entire season on the active roster. We mentioned Smith’s $3.5MM worth of potential incentives in the first post, but Wilson details that those incentives will be based on playtime, playoffs, passing yards, and whether or not Smith is voted to the Pro Bowl.
Mitchell Trubisky, QB (Steelers): Incentive details for two-year, $14.29MM contract. Original details posted here. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the incentives are as follows: in 2022, Trubisky is due $1MM if he hits 60% of the team’s playtime, $1.5MM if he hits 70%, $2MM if he hits 80%, $2.5MM if he hits 70% and the Steelers make the playoffs, and $4MM if he hits 80% and the team makes the playoffs. He’ll earn an additional $250,000 if he makes the Pro Bowl. If Trubisky hits the 60% mark of playtime in 2022, he’ll earn a roster bonus in March of 2023 worth $1MM. That roster bonus elevates to $4MM if he triggers the 70% bonus from 2022. The same playtime, playoff, and Pro Bowl incentives will be in place for the 2023 season, as well, just without the following year roster bonus.

Seahawks To Hold QB Competition, Did Not View Malik Willis As NFL-Ready

May 7th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

To the surprise of most, the Seahawks have stood pat at quarterback since trading Russell Wilson. They did re-sign Geno Smith, who has been a backup for seven years, and are prepared to give him a legitimate shot to succeed Wilson.

Smith and Drew Lock are engaged in an open competition for the job, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com notes. Pete Carroll has praised Lock throughout the offseason and said during a KJR 93.3 appearance (via Pro Football Talk) Lock would have been the first quarterback taken had he been in this year’s draft.

Lock, who went 42nd overall to the Broncos in 2019, is entering a contract year. He has largely struggled as a starter, and while the ex-Mizzou prospect did play in two offensive systems in his first two years, Teddy Bridgewater beat him out for Denver’s QB1 job last year and held him off throughout the Broncos’ time in playoff contention. Lock replaced an injured Bridgewater in a close Week 15 game against the Bengals; the Broncos lost that game and their final three to finish 7-10. This came after the strong-armed passer tied for the 2020 interception lead, with 15, despite missing three-plus games.

Seattle also has ex-Indianapolis draftee Jacob Eason on its roster, but Lock-Smith appears to be the battle. Refusing to capitalize on the non-Kenny Pickett QB prospects’ collective freefall, the Seahawks did not select a QB with their nine draft picks. A player they were connected to, Malik Willis, did not appeal to them. Seattle did not view the Liberty prospect as close to NFL-ready, Henderson adds. Seattle passed on Willis, Desmond Ridder and Matt Corral three times on Day 2.

Smith, 31, has made five starts over the past seven seasons. Three of those came last season, his third with the Seahawks. The former second-round pick did show some promise, completing 68% of his passes on 7.4 yards per attempt — numbers superior to his Jets-era work, albeit in a small sample size — and finishing with a 5-to-1 TD-INT ratio. But he has been a backup on four teams since 2015.

If the Browns end up releasing Baker Mayfield, the Seahawks will surely look into adding him to this mix. They were connected to the four-year starter earlier this offseason, and he would seemingly give the team a better chance to win this season. For now, however, Lock has a legitimate opportunity to snag another starting gig.

Pete Carroll Doesn’t Envision Seahawks Trading For QB

May 5th, 2022 at 10:22pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks continue to be mentioned as a suitor for one of the several available veteran QBs. However, coach Pete Carroll doesn’t envision the organization adding to the position, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson (on Twitter).

“I don’t see us making a trade for anybody at all,” Carroll told reporters. “I don’t see that happening.”

After trading Russell Wilson earlier this offseason, the Seahawks have been connected to a number of available quarterbacks, including Baker Mayfield (who mentioned the Seahawks himself) and Jimmy Garoppolo. The Seahawks make sense as a landing spot; after all, the team’s options at quarterback are currently Geno Smith and Drew Lock. The team is also rostering former Colts fourth-round pick Jacob Eason and recent UDFA addition Levi Lewis.

Lock, who was acquired in the Wilson trade, struggled during his three seasons in Denver. Despite his second-round pedigree, the QB went 8-13 as a starter while tossing 25 touchdowns vs. 20 interceptions. Smith stepped in for the injured Wilson midway through the 2021 campaign. In four total appearances (including three starts), he threw for 702 yards and five touchdowns, completing over 68% of his passes.

The organization was expected to address the position at some point this offseason. They didn’t end up adding a QB in the draft, so no matter what Carroll says publicly, the team will likely be connected to any available quarterbacks until the trade deadline (or until they end up making a move).

Contract Details: Gilmore, Cooks, Nelson, Smith, Bynes, Watkins

April 20th, 2022 at 8:54pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on deals recently signed around the NFL:

Stephon Gilmore, CB (Colts): Two-year, $20MM. The deal includes $10.51MM guaranteed at signing and $14MM in overall guarantees. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Gilmore’s Year 1 payout will total $10.02MM.
Brandin Cooks, WR (Texans): Two-year, $39.76MM. The deal includes $36MM guaranteed at signing consisting of the $16MM signing bonus (applied over three years) and the first two years of base salary ($2MM in 2022 and $18MM in 2023), according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Cooks will have a per game active bonus of $29,411 for a potential season total of $500,000 and will receive a roster bonus in 2024 of $3MM.
Steven Nelson, CB (Texans): Two-year, $9MM. The deal is worth up to $10MM, according to Wilson. It includes $4.5MM guaranteed at signing consisting of a $2MM signing bonus, the 2022 base salary of $1.75MM, and $750,000 of the 2023 base salary. Nelson will have a 2022 per game active bonus of $44,117 for a potential season total of $750,000 and a 2023 per game active bonus of $58,832 for a potential season total of $1MM. The deal includes an unspecified incentive worth $250,000 for the 2022 season.
Geno Smith, QB (Seahawks): One-year, $3.5MM. The deal is worth up to $7MM, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with up to $3.5MM worth of incentives likely triggerable if he wins the starting job. The deal includes a guaranteed amount of $500,000.
Josh Bynes, LB (Ravens): One-year, $1.27MM. According to Jamison Hensley of ESPN, the deal includes $600,000 of guaranteed money consisting of the signing bonus worth $152,500 and $447,500 of the base salary (worth $1.12MM total).
Sammy Watkins, WR (Packers): One-year, $1.85MM. The deal includes a signing bonus of $350,000 and is worth up to $4MM, according to USA Today’s Ryan Wood, with incentives for playtime, catches, yards, and touchdowns. Watkins can earn an extra $150,000, $350,000, or $525,000 if he plays a snap count percentage of 55%, 60%, or 65%, respectively. He can earn an extra $150,000, $350,000, or $525,000 if he records a receptions total of 50, 60, or 70 catches, respectively. He can earn an extra $150,000, $350,000, or $525,000 if he has yardage totals of 550, 650, or 700, respectively. Lastly, Watkins can earn an extra $150,000, $350,000, or $575,000 if he catches 7, 8, or 9 touchdowns, respectively.

Seahawks To Re-Sign Geno Smith

April 14th, 2022 at 1:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks have, as expected, retained backup quarterback Geno Smith. A new deal being agreed upon between the two sides was first reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz and corroborated by USA Today’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link).

ESPN’s Jeremey Fowler details that the new contract is one year in length, and has a maximum value of $7MM (Twitter link). That represents a sizable raise for the 31-year-old, who had previously earned no more than $1.2MM in a single season during his tenure in Seattle.

Smith stepped in for the injured Russell Wilson midway through the 2021 campaign. In four total appearances (including three starts), he threw for 702 yards and five touchdowns, completing over 68% of his passes. While the team only won one of those games, Smith’s level of play was higher than that during most of his NFL tenure.

It came as little surprise, then, that head coach Pete Carroll publicly stated the team’s intention to re-sign him. While the Seahawks also have former Bronco Drew Lock as a result of the Wilson trade, Smith is expected to compete for the starting role, something reflected by the financial value of this new pact.

This deal, of course, doesn’t guarantee that Seattle is set with those two at the top of the depth chart for 2022. The team has been named (as recently as yesterday) as a potential trade destination for the likes of Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo; they also hosted Desmond Ridder for a draft visit, signalling that they could be willing to select a future franchise signal-caller. Regardless of their future plans, they will clearly have a familiar face available to serve as, at a minimum, an experienced backup.

Latest On Seahawks’ QB Situation, D.K. Metcalf

March 29th, 2022 at 11:00am CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks feel as though they have their next starting quarterback in Drew Lock, but they are one of few remaining teams expected to make another move of some kind at the position. It comes as no surprise, then, that head coach Pete Carroll says the team is “still in the quarterback business” as noted by Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

Which veteran the team would prefer to bring in isn’t a mystery, either. Carroll confirmed they are still trying to re-sign Geno Smith, who has been with Seattle for the past two seasons. The former Jet, Giant and Charger started three games in Russell Wilson‘s absence last year, throwing for 702 yards and five touchdowns, along with one interception.

“It just hasn’t happened” Carroll said of Smith. “It’s a negotiation.” It became clear even before the Wilson trade that Seattle wanted to retain the 31-year-old, who was arrested on suspicion of DUI in January. As Condotta notes (on Twitter), Smith is likely trying to leverage a more lucrative deal from Seattle “knowing they plan for him to compete to start and not just be a backup”.

Meanwhile, Carroll also addressed the contract status of receiver D.K. Metcalf. “We intend for him to be with us”, he said (Twitter link). The former second-rounder’s rookie contract expires at the end of the 2022 campaign, making him eligible for an extension – which would keep Metcalf in Seattle, something he expressed a desire for towards the end of the season.

While Carroll stated that “we have not gotten to that topic yet”, he added that “there’s no way I could imagine playing without him”. Included in some trade rumors, especially after the departures of Wilson and Bobby Wagner, Metcalf being signed long-term would provide some significant stability on an offense facing questions at the game’s most important position. In his three seasons, the Ole Miss alum has averaged 72 catches, 1,057 yards and just under 10 touchdowns per year.

Seahawks Want To Re-Sign Geno Smith

March 4th, 2022 at 11:41am CST by Zachary Links

In a matter of days, Geno Smith will be eligible to sign with any team in the NFL. Still, head coach Pete Carroll hopes that the quarterback will stay put (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times).

Smith was arrested on suspicion of DUI in January, a potential roadblock to his future prospects. The quarterback has yet to be charged in connection with that incident, however, which may help his standing in Seattle.

“Being arrested brings a taint onto the reputation that is impossible to undo, no matter what really happened,” Smith said in a tweet following the arrest. “I’m asking all of you to hold back on judging me the same as you would do for a friend or family member. I’ll have more to say down the road & ask that you [bear] with me.”

Smith has spent the past two seasons as the backup in Seattle. In 2021, he made four appearances while Russell Wilson was sidelined with a broken finger. Smith was victorious just once in three starts, but he did throw for 702 yards and five touchdowns against just one interception, a major upgrade over his early pro work.

Seahawks’ Geno Smith Arrested On Suspicion Of DUI

January 11th, 2022 at 1:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

While there is plenty of drama and speculation around the Seahawks’ starting quarterback, their backup made headlines after their regular season came to a close. Geno Smith was arrested on suspicion of DUI early Monday morning, according to a report from ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Smith was arrested just after 2:00 am on Monday and released on his own recognizance around 9:30 the same morning. According to an update from the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, a report from the Washington State Patrol indicates that Smith was driving 96 mph in a 60 mph zone, and that he “grew increasingly agitated” while realizing he would be arrested. In addition, Smith refused a blood alcohol breath test, meaning blood had to be drawn on the authority of a warrant, and with Smith “having to be placed under restraints”.

Smith, 31, said in a Tweet, “Being arrested brings a taint onto the reputation that is impossible to undo, no matter what really happened. I’m asking all of you to hold back on judging me the same as you would do for a friend or family member. I’ll have more to say down the road & ask that you bare [sic] with me.”

His attorney added that “Geno is fully cooperative with the investigation” and that “I hope that an open mind can be kept by all as the facts are ascertained”. After Smith was present for the team’s end-of-season player meeting later in the day Monday, Head Coach Pete Carroll said, “I checked in with him. We have to let his people handle all that”.

Smith has spent the past two seasons as the backup in Seattle, a stretch that includes four appearances in relief of Russell Wilson after the latter’s broken finger this season. He won one of his three starts, completing 68.4% of his passes for 702 yards, five touchdowns and one interception overall. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent in March.

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson Exits Thursday’s Game

October 7th, 2021 at 9:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Russell Wilson is one of the NFL’s few iron men, but the Seahawks quarterback was forced to exit tonight’s game against the Rams. Wilson was pulled in the second half of tonight’s contest after suffering a hand injury, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (via Twitter). The QB was officially listed as questionable to return.

Before exiting the game, Wilson had completed 11 of his 16 pass attempts for 152 yards and one touchdown (vs. one interception). While attempting a pass to Tyler Lockett during the third quarter, the QB’s hand slammed against the helmet of a Rams defender. Replays showed Wilson walking toward the sideline with a mangled hand, and after getting some quick treatment, he finished the drive with a hand off. He came back on the field for the next drive but only attempted one pass.

Wilson was finally replaced by backup Geno Smith, who completed each of his five pass attempts en route to a touchdown on his first drive of the game.

If Wilson is forced to miss any time thanks to the injury, it will be the first regular season game he’ll sit out since entering the league in 2012. Smith is the only other QB on the depth chart, but he hasn’t started a game since 2017. The Seahawks are also rostering quarterback Jake Luton on the practice squad.