Seattle Seahawks grant QB Geno Smith an opportunity to fulfill his promise
Quarterback Geno Smith made a promise to Seattle, and the Seahawks granted him an opportunity to live up to that commitment.
It's a memory that doesn't fade. A painful NFL Playoff loss. An end of the season that left much to be desired. A near-tearful Geno Smith chose that moment to make a promise.
Smith, who enjoyed a resurgence in his career during the 2022 NFL season, between bursts of emotions, promised to repay Seattle for reviving his career. He vowed after the playoff loss to "repay" the organization for believing in him when no other team did.
"I probably could have been out of the league," Smith said then.
Following Monday night's news, Seattle re-signed Smith to a three-year $105 million deal, the organization has now given the 32-year-old quarterback a chance to fulfill his promise to repay Seattle for its belief in him.
The lead-up to getting the deal done was full of posturing on both sides, but according to ESPN's Brady Henderson, both parties believed the deal would get done before Tuesday's franchise tag deadline.
If the deal didn't get done, Smith would have probably played the year under the tag, which would have netted the quarterback roughly $32.4 million.
He is now set to make $52 million in the first year alone.
Smith deserves it.
The former journeyman quarterback won the starting job in training camp following Russell Wilson's departure. He started all 17 games, not missing a single snap. And he set Seahawks' record for completion rate, completions (399), and passing yards (4,282). These are all marks Wilson set for the franchise during his tenure under a 16-game regular season.
Despite retaining Smith, head coach Pete Carroll detailed at the NFL combine that Seattle is still looking at quarterbacks with the No. 5 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He described having the opportunity to pick in the top five as "rare" because the Seahawks have spent the better part of the last decade picking in the late 20s.
One of the quarterbacks linked to Seattle is Anthony Richardson, who impressed with his combine day on Saturday. However, he remains a raw prospect, who would be a development project for Seattle as opposed to an instant difference maker.
Another quarterback linked to Seattle is Ohio State's C.J. Stroud. He has been described as a precision thrower of the football who combines arm strength with pinpoint accuracy.
Despite being more pro-ready, Stroud would also need time before he is ready to start and play well at an NFL level.
Which, in one way, works out for Smith. Both quarterbacks Seattle is leaning towards selecting require time to develop. Indicating that Smith is going to be starting in Seattle for a while, regardless of who the Seahawks select.
So, in the end, Seattle gave Smith an opportunity to fulfill the promise he made following the Wild Card round loss. And it is only right. With the way he played all last season, he deserves it.
