The Seahawks are re-signing quarterback Geno Smith, which makes him the favorite to be their starter at the outset of the 2022 season. According to Bob Condotta at the Seattle Times, Smith’s contract is a one-year deal with a base salary somewhere between $3.5 million and $4 million with incentives that can push the total up to $7 million.
That’s a big raise for Smith, who earned it with three strong starts during the 2021 season while Russell Wilson was out with his finger injury. While it’s not a huge commitment for a quarterback, this development does likely mean that the Seahawks won’t be using one of their draft picks this year on a quarterback.
For one thing, this QB class is supposed to be pretty weak compared to recent drafts – and especially when compared with the 2023 group. The only prospect that was really worth considering is Liberty’s Malik Willis, whose game has at least a passing resemblance to Wilson’s when he’s at his best. However, the great showing Willis put on at his pro day likely put him out of reach for Seattle with the No. 9 overall pick.
This offseason has demonstrated that you can’t rule out any scenario with 100% certainty, but going forward fans should expect the Seahawks not to take a QB this year.
Looking ahead, their depth chart at quarterback should be:
QB1: Geno Smith
QB2: Drew Lock
QB3: Jacob Eason
To put it kindly, Lock hasn’t developed into a reliable starter as of yet but it makes more sense to give him the opportunity if Smith either fails or gets injured rather than use draft capital on a rookie QB. Only Eason is under contract beyond next season, so unless one of them turns in a truly-impressive ’22 campaign odds are this team will be shooting to draft its next franchise quarterback in 2023.
Smith re-signing also makes it highly unlikely that the team will attempt to trade for another QB already in the league like the Browns’ Baker Mayfield or Gardner Minshew of the Eagles. Free agent wild cards like Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick are also now off the table.
