The Seattle Seahawks have been making interesting moves when it comes to their two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith. On February 16th, the Seahawks announced Smith would remain on the roster, earning a $12 million guaranteed chunk of his contract. This opened a window to decide what next to do with Smith, considering he had a $9.6 million roster bonus that would activate on March 17th.
Seattle came to an agreement with Smith on Thursday where they agreed to restructure his contact. Now his $9.6 million roster bonus is a signing bonus, freeing up cap space for the team. The Seahawks get more financial flexibility, and Smith gets his money. Obviously, this is great for Geno Smith, as I will always advocate for players getting their hard earned cash. But this is a wise move for Seattle as well.
First and foremost, Smith is a good quarterback. We can argue what his ceiling may be, and we can discuss if there are potential upgrades out there. It’s an interesting conversation. But where I won’t spend time arguing is with those who think Smith was a major problem for the inconsistent Seahawks offense last year.
Smith may not have been perfect, but when it mattered most he showed up. He set an NFL record for five game-winning drives, and had Jason Myers made a field goal against the Rams it would have been six. Smith also had seven go-ahead touchdown passes in the 4th quarter or overtime, the most in a single season in league history. Given how inflated quarterback salaries have become, keeping Smith at an entirely reasonable (at least by NFL standards) $21 million for the 2024 season is a bit of a bargain.
Even if Smith ends up not being in the plans for Seattle this year, the price tag keeps him affordable (and financially attractive) in case the Seahawks find a trade partner.
However, at this time, I would advocate against trading away Smith, provided a lucrative deal does not materialize. No, Smith is not the future at quarterback for this franchise. His age (33, soon to be 34 in October) is the biggest factor. Seattle should draft a quarterback in this draft class. But even with a rookie, having Smith in the fold to help the young man develop would do wonders for the long term health of this team.
