There have been a lot of rumors going around lately about the fate of Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Geno Smith. Many have believed that after an unimpressive 2023 season, the Seahawks would be looking to go in a new direction this next year, particularly with some potential young players who could boost other teams’ rosters.
General Manager John Schneider is trying to shut down those rumors, or at least postpone them for a bit. On Tuesday, during the first day of the NFL Combine, Schneider gave remarks on the state of the team and shared the following statement:
[Regarding Geno Smith] …Yes, he’s the starter until he’s not. Really, our coaches aren’t down here with us, so basically what we’re doing is we’re — we have a vision, we have a plan for what we’re doing…. But we really just finished up the staff like last Thursday or Friday.”
Clueless or Playing Politics?
Reading between the lines of John Schneider’s comments, one comes to one of two conclusions.
- John Schneider and the team really have no idea what is going on. For Seahawk fans, they hope that this isn’t the case, but the comments really make one wonder. To say that Geno Smith is the QB until he isn’t anymore is like someone saying that I am hungry until I eat. It’s just really weird to word things that way, and it leaves a lot of questions going forward. A more confident answer like “He is our guy, and we believe in him. The league always changes, and so does our team, but today he is our starter and the guy we believe in.”
- The Seahawks are playing politics. This is the most likely scenario. In all likelihood, the Seahawks do indeed have a plan and may even be planning to replace Geno Smith, but in the case that their plans A, B, and C fall through, resulting in Geno Smith staying on the roster as QB1, the team wants to look like they got exactly what they wanted.
Schneider was asked by @bcondotta whether he considers Geno Smith the Seahawks' starting QB right now.
“Yeah, I mean, I would think — yes, he’s the starter until he’s not."
Full quote below. pic.twitter.com/2bHXKs6yS0
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) February 27, 2024
Struggles in 2023
In 2023, Geno Smith had an okay, but not great, season throwing for 3,624 yards, 20 TDs, and 9 INTs. These numbers were down from the year before when Smith threw for nearly 600 more yards and 10 more touchdowns while completing nearly 70% of his passes.
Most notably, the team went 9-8 during the season, matching their 2022 number; however, they missed the NFL Playoffs. Fans and coaches hoped that another year in the Seahawks system would have led to an improved record and overall stat line,
While not terrible, the calls for Geno Smith to be replaced have been there, but not to the point of being an obvious change. 9-8 is still a winning quarterback, and finding winning quarterbacks isn’t as simple as it may seem.
Is Geno Smith Still QB1?
Despite the comments by John Schneider, the fact that he didn’t sound particularly supportive of Geno Smith suggests that they are, in all likelihood, moving on unless there absolutely is no better alternative. With the 16th overall pick in the NFL Draft, this strategy may not be a bad idea. There is a chance that the top four QB’s will already be taken by the time the Seahawks get a pick, and after that, there is no guarantee of getting a great QB through free agency or trades.
So, in a way, what Schneider said was 100% the truth. He is the starter until he isn’t.
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