Despite finishing the season with a winning record at 9-8, the Seahawks still missed the playoffs in 2023. The top seven teams in the NFC make the postseason. Seattle finished as the 8th seed and just narrowly did not make it. For 15 of their 17 regular season games in 2023, the team had Geno Smith as their starting QB.
This was his fourth season with the Seahawks and his second as their full-time starter. Smith did improve Seattle’s record in 2023 by one win, but it wasn’t enough for them to make the playoffs. NBC Sports’ Peter King recently said he believes that the Seahawks could be a team that tries to trade up in the 2024 Draft for a new QB. Possibly to replace Geno Smith.
Has Geno Smith already hit his ceiling with the Seattle Seahawks?
Geno Smith to Tyler Lockett Passing TD (20/5)
pic.twitter.com/QxwoTlTVMd— NFL TD Videos (@NFLTDVideos2023) January 8, 2024
In his first season as Seattle’s full-time starter in 2022, Smith threw for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Smith started every game for the Seahawks last season. The 33-year-old missed two games this season due to injury. He threw for 3,624 yards, 20 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Smith did take a step back in 2023, but that doesn’t mean he needs to be replaced. As we’ve seen in the past, the grass isn’t always greener.
There is always the intrigue of drafting a new QB and getting a franchise player. However, first-round QBs do not always work out. At the moment, the Seahawks have the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. If the team was serious about drafting Smith’s replacement, they would need to trade up in the 2024 Draft to get the QB they want. This is a deep QB class in 2024, but the top players in that position will go early on.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Geno Smith is *not* the problem in Seattle.
Full discussion of the Seahawks’ issues on this week’s pod: https://t.co/25po4Tj9rF
YouTube: https://t.co/Trnl2RX3Ug pic.twitter.com/6aJ72JzyAN
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 3, 2024
While drafting a QB could help the Seahawks, they invested in Geno Smith after his career-best season in 2022. He signed a three-year, $75 million contract extension this past offseason. Smith is still under contract with the Seahawks for 2024 and 2025. After that, he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2026. For now, fans should anticipate Smith being the starter next season unless the team does end u drafting one of the top QBs in 2024. We’ll have to wait and see.
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