Geno Smith kept the Seattle Seahawks in the playoff hunt with an efficient performance in Sunday’s win over the New York Jets, and he cashed a big bonus check in the process.
Smith went 18/29 for 183 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in a convincing 23-6 win over his former team. The yardage was all he needed to eclipse 4,000 passing yards on the season. As ESPN’s Brady Henderson pointed out, Smith had a $1 million incentive in his contract for reaching 4,000 yards.
Smith is also just the second quarterback in Seahawks history to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. Russell Wilson accomplished the feat four times.
Geno Smith just earned a cool million dollars. His incentive package includes a $1M bonus for reaching 4,000 yards passing, which he's now done.
Becomes the second QB in Seahawks history with 4,000 passing yards in a season, per @ESPNStatsInfo. Russell Wilson did it four times.
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) January 1, 2023
It goes without saying that Smith was motivated to play well against the Jets, who drafted him in the second round back in 2013. Though, he did his best to downplay the revenge narrative heading into the game.
Smith has shown this year that he is capable of winning games as a starter in the right system. The $1 million incentive is probably only a preview of what he has coming to him this offseason.
