Seahawks GM Pushes Back at Possibility of Geno Smith as Backup

A year ago around this same time, Geno Smith was relishing in his remarkable career resurgence that led to being named the Comeback Player of the Year. Fast forward to present day and the Seahawks are fielding questions about if Smith is still their starting quarterback.

Smith did end up a Pro Bowler again, granted this time as an injury replacement, but his 2023 season paled in comparison to his success in 2022. Based on that and the change in leadership in Seattle, Seahawks general manager John Schneider was asked if Smith is still his starting quarterback while talking with reporters on Tuesday.

To that end, Schneider offered support of the former Mountaineer, yet also left the door open to the possibility that Smith could lose the job too. “Yes, he’s the starter until he’s not,” said Schneider, according to reporters like Mike Dugar who covers the Seahawks for The Athletic.

Schneider also pushed back about past reports suggesting Smith would possibly not be with the team in 2024.

John Schneider says Geno Smith’s contract restructure is a routine cap saving measure and not a move that signals anything about Smith’s future with the #Seahawks.

“Other people made a bigger deal out of that than we did in the building.” https://t.co/n4AlDMbYq0 pic.twitter.com/oTRcVFGFgB

— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) February 28, 2024

So it appears the Seahawks are still planning for Smith to be the starter under new head coach Mike Macdonald, but are also not guaranteeing him the position permanently no matter what. Smith’s current contract, one he restructured recently, has him signed through the 2025 season.

A week after reporters said the Seahawks decided to allow Geno Smith to collect his full guarantee, Seattle created cap space by restructuring his contact.

The Seahawks restructured Smith’s contract, converting his $9.6 million roster bonus into a signing bonus and creating $4.8 million in 2024 cap space.

Seahawks Create Cap Space by Restructuring Geno Smith’s Contract

Smith finished the season with 3,624 yards passing, 21 total touchdowns and nine interceptions. Smith also completed 64.7% of his passes in 15 games. Smith’s efforts this season earned him a Pro Bowl invitation for a second straight year. Last year, Smith won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award with over 4,000 passing yards and 30 touchdowns.

Even though Smith’s season was a drop in production and success from his remarkable comeback story of the year before, Smith still kept the Seahawks in playoff contention until the last week of the regular season.

In typical Geno Smith fashion, he kept his season in perspective after the season finale despite missing the playoffs.

“Circumstances shouldn’t dictate your mood or your effort. We fight no matter what,” Smith said after Seattle’s 21-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Smith was responding to a question about how he stayed motivated after learning his team no longer had a chance to return to the postseason.

For a related story, Smith detailed what his second Pro Bowl experience means to him.