He was the 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year after enjoying a career campaign in his third season with Pete Carroll’s team. Quarterback Geno Smith has been the main man behind center for the Seattle Seahawks these last three years. A second-round pick of the New York Jets in 2013, he spent four disappointing years with the franchise. That was followed by brief stints with the Giants and Chargers.
In 2019, he joined the Seahawks. He saw no action that season, played in one game in 2020, made three starts for an inured Russell Wilson in ’21, and won the starting job in 2022 after Wilson was dealt to the Broncos. The team reached the playoffs in ’22, and Smith has started all but two games these last three seasons. He’s thrown for more than twice as many touchdown passes (71) as interceptions (35) in those 49 regular-season starts. However, the ‘Hawks have fallen short of the playoffs these last two years.
Last week, Super Bowl XXXIV champion and Pro Football Hall of Fame signal-caller Kurt Warner made an appearance on The Brock and Salk Show. He spoke about Smith, and the question was posed on whether the Seattle signal-caller could be “elite.”
Of course, the Seahawks once again have a new offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak, late of the New Orleans Saints. The team has a new quarterbacks coach (Andrew Janocko) and offensive line coach (John Benton), who were with Kubiak in the Big Easy in 2024. Smith also played behind an offensive front that certainly needs some retooling, hence the hiring of Benton.
The Seahawks allowed 54 sacks this past season, and Smith was on the receiving end of 50 of those traps. He fumbled nine times, but did not give up the ball to the opposition. He had his issues in the red zone, an area that certainly needs to be cleaned up this year.
What’s worth mentioning is that Warner noted that the Seattle offense “is a tough offense to run.” It will be quite interesting to see what Kubiak does this year, and how he and the staff can put Smith and his offensive teammates in better position for success.
