Seahawks make big decision with Geno Smith’s contract
Nov 21, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) jogs to the locker room following a 23-13 loss against the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Seahawks last offseason structured Geno Smith’s contract extension in a way that would have allowed them to move on from him after one year, but they remain committed to the veteran quarterback for the time being.
Smith’s $12.7 million base salary for 2024 will become fully guaranteed on Friday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seahawks have informed Smith that they will allow that money to trigger.
Schefter did not rule out the Seahawks listening to trade offers for Smith, but the insider said the team feels the 33-year-old’s contract is a value relative to other quarterbacks around the NFL.
The Seahawks believed that, in today’s market, with salaries soaring for starting quarterbacks, the right decision was to pay the money, per sources. Now Geno Smith will represent a value to them – or any other team that decides to reach out to see if it can acquire Smith via… https://t.co/3W45jFIhMn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 15, 2024
Smith also has a $9.6 million roster bonus due on due on March 18. That figure could have increased by about $10 million with incentives in 2023, but Smith failed to achieve any of the marks.
The Seahawks have a new head coach in Mike Macdonald, which is why there has been speculation that they might draft and develop a quarterback under the new regime. They could still do that while also keeping Smith in a bridge role for 2024 and seeing how things go.
Smith won Seattle’s starting QB job in training camp two years ago and revived his career. He had career highs across the board in 2022 with 4,282 yards and 30 touchdown passes compared to 11 interceptions. He parlayed that success into a 3-year, $75 million contract extension that included millions in incentives.
Though he played well overall, Smith was not quite as productive last season. He finished with 3,624 yards, 20 touchdowns and 9 picks.
