Geno Smith has been one of the best comeback stories in football over the last few years. He was a career backup who salvaged his career at 31 years old. Fans and analysts have been weary of whether Smith was just a one-season wonder or a franchise starter. Pete Carroll continued to put his belief in Smith but now with Carroll out and new head coach Mike Macdonald in, no one is safe.
The Commanders and Seahawks agreed on a trade sending quarterback Sam Howell to Seattle. This doesn’t seem like a normal backup quarterback trade. It seems he was brought in to push Geno Smith and maybe develop into the starting quarterback in a few years. This could change the dynamic of the quarterback room as Macdonald has no allegiance to Smith. This could shape up to be a huge story as the season goes on. Smith might be on a short leash with Howell in the room.
Is Geno Smith a Lock To Be the Week One Starter?
Yes.
Geno Smith is the guy as of now but he will be on a short leash. He is a good quarterback and his past two seasons show that. In the modern-day NFL being good isn’t enough to win playoff games and make playoff pushes. Smith took a step back last season but he wasn’t horrible by any stretch of the imagination. He was hurt for a good amount of games and that hurt his play dramatically. With age and being a career backup taken into play if he doesn’t at least match his 2022 season then he could be out.
The Seahawks are a playoff contender with Smith at quarterback but when looking through his 2023 film he needs to clean up a few areas of his game. He needs to find consistent play through an entire season. In 2022 he started hot and then cooled down but in 2023 he started cold and heated up towards the end of the season. Smith also has to be better in the first three-quarters of the game. Smith was clutch all season but always seemed to struggle to play a consistent first half. When the Seahawks had a lead Smith couldn’t put the game away.
Another piece of the puzzle is the change in coaching this offseason. Carroll was a believer in Geno Smith when no one else believed in him. So losing him was a huge hit to Geno Smith and it may impact his stability in the long term. If Smith underperforms this season then he will be a small cap hit if they need to cut him at the end of the season.
How Much of a Threat Is Sam Howell?
He puts some heat on Geno Smith because he is younger and has a year of decent production under his belt. Howell showed serious upside in his one season in the NFL but his turnover problem and slow processing cost him another year in Washington. Now he is in a new place with better receivers and a much better defense on the other side of the ball. The big-armed Howell will not be the starter in week one but he gives Smith very little room for failure.
Howell and Smith have one of the most intriguing quarterback rooms in the NFL. Both of them have the potential to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Smith brings recent success and NFL experience to a contending team, along with pinpoint accuracy and above-average deep ball skills. On the other hand, Howell has the youth and potential that many NFL teams would love to build around if given the opportunity. While it’s obvious to give Geno the starting job immediately, an open competition this offseason could benefit both quarterbacks.
Main Image: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
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