The Seattle Seahawks first year under Mike MacDonald has been what most would consider a mild success.
Failing to achieve a playoff berth in the hyper-competitive NFC, where the #7 seeded Green Bay Packers finished the year at 11-6, will weigh on the minds of fans and ownership. Yet a 10-7 record and a strong-ish defense will certainly carry favor on his first year evaluation.
Coming in as a defensive-minded head coach – who masterminded the Baltimore Ravens‘ ultra stout defense last season, that ranked 4th in total yards conceded in 2023 – MacDonald was expected to sow improvements on that side of the ball.
Which he did, as Seattle finished 14th in total defense in 2024, up from 30th just a year ago. The secondary was also a borderline top 10 unit in the league, coming in at 11th in passing yards allowed.
Offense The Main Story For The Seahawks Coming Into 2025
However, the bigger story was the extent to which MacDonald and the now-fired offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb, would be able to marshal an offense that, on paper, has all the pieces around it to be one of the more competitive in the league: an excellent wide receiver duo of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett; two highly promising tackles in Abe Lucas and Charles Cross; and a formidable running back tandem of Kenneth Walker And Zach Charbonnet.
The main – and really only question – concerned the quarterback, Geno Smith.
Smith is a tough evaluation for this season; on the one hand, he came 4th in the league in total passing yards with 4,320. On the other, he passed for 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions; an ok but rather uninspiring 4:3 TD to INT ratio.
Although Geno was fairly consistent with regards to his performance judged on a game to game basis, his intra-game play was frustratingly erratic; connecting on huge deep balls and subsequently throwing brutal picks two plays later.
All this had many questioning the former Jets QB’s future with the team: would MacDonald look to move on and bring in “his guy”, or ride Smith for the last year of his deal.
Mike MacDonald Clarifies Feelings About Geno Smith
And it seems, as the offseason begins for the 18 teams not participating in the playoffs, that MacDonald and the Seahawks have made their intentions clear on the future of their current QB1, per MacDonald’s end of season conference.
“I feel like Geno’s the best for the team right now. I’ll be involved with it. Ultimately, it’s not my decision. It’s a Seahawks decision, but Geno knows how we feel about him, and we love him as our starting quarterback, for sure.”
The Seahawks coach also said that he actively wants his current QB to remain in Seattle, and that he is “a hell of a player”.
In truth, this public backing of Smith feels like quite possibly the best option for the Seahawks, with few bona fide “franchise quarterbacks” laying in wait in the 2025 draft class, and a disappointing free agent quarterback class, which may end up having the 41 year old Aaron Rodgers lie atop it.
However, Seattle could save over $30 million in cap space by cutting Geno Smith, who is in the last year of his 3 year, $75 million deal signed back in the 2023 offseason.
If they feel that their man gives them a legitimate chance of playoff success, they will most likely opt to keep him around for his final year. But if there is a an option on or off the team that can be acquired for much less and produce similar quality play; or bring about a “tank” year that puts them in position to get a top 5 pick in 2026, where the QB class is set to be substantially better, we could see general manager, John Schneider, punt on Smith to invest in the team’s future.
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Seahawks’ Mike MacDonald Breaks Silence on Future of QB Geno Smith