Geno Smith After Signing New Deal with Seahawks: ‘I Believe in Team’

Geno Smith may not ever want to write back to his doubters, but he certainly didn’t mind writing his name on his new contract with the Seahawks.

The deal to keep Smith in Seattle is now official. The team and Smith announced the news to confirm previous reports at a press conference on Thursday. Smith’s new contract is for 3 years and is worth up to $105 million with $40 million guaranteed and $30 million more available in incentives.

In a landscape of mega deals for quarterbacks and debates over if certain players should receive fully guaranteed contracts, something not of common practice in the NFL, Smith’s new deal could be argued to be a bargain for Seattle. Smith touched on this topic by making it clear he just wanted to stay with the Seahawks and didn’t mind agreeing to a team-friendly deal.

A city excited for the future. @GenoSmith3 has officially signed an extension! ✍️ pic.twitter.com/25BSoSDrW9

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) March 9, 2023

“I wanted to stay here. So we could get something done quickly. I didn’t want to have to test the free-agent market,” the Pro Bowl quarterback said at the press conference. “I believe in team,” he added.

Smith’s loyalty comes from Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider believing in him when few others around the league did. Seattle gave him the chance to be a full-time starting quarterback in 2022, an opportunity that had not been presented to Smith since 2014. Schneider praised Smith for his work ethic and perseverance, even going as far as to call the former second round draft pick an inspiration.

Geno Smith Gets Emotional, Proclaims He’s ‘Excited About Future’ with Seahawks

“This is the ultimate team sport. Everyone knows that. We talk about it all the time,” Schneider said. He continued. “Geno, what he did last year, I want to let you know — I know you know this, but — what an inspiration you’ve been to men, women, young, old, all around the country about faith, perseverance, work ethic, being a good person, man.” Smith then nodded as Schneider threw another compliment his way. “Watching you last year was awesome…so thank you to you,” concluded Seattle’s general manager.

Faith, perseverance, work ethic, and being a good person.@GenoSmith3's story is an inspiration for everyone. pic.twitter.com/jShWZaOmzp

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) March 9, 2023

Smith threw for 4,282 yards with 30 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. He completed a league-leading 69.8% of his passes, posted an 100.9 rating overall and also ran for 366 yards and scored a touchdown on the ground.

At one point, Smith’s season reached historic levels in terms of efficiency, tying an NFL record for the most consecutive games completing at least 60% of his passes and doing it with an 80 or better rating. The only other quarterbacks to ever be that consistent efficient wise for as many games in a row in one season are Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers.