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The Seattle Seahawks bargain of Geno Smith’s $3.5 million salary for this season is about to expire, and the veteran quarterback is headed for a massive payday. The question is whether Smith will still be cashing checks from the Seahawks, or if the signal-caller will sign a lucrative deal elsewhere. The Score’s Jordan Schultz believes the Seahawks are prepared to offer Smith a deal in the four to five year range for an estimated $80 million.
“They’re ultimate perfect scenario for the Seahawks is to extend Geno Smith four or five years,” Schultz detailed during a December 12, 2022 appearance on “Pat McAfee Show.” “You mentioned the [Broncos] draft picks being great and getting higher every week, well, Geno’s number gets higher every week because he’s going to have over 30 touchdowns, over 4,500 yards. He’s the only quarterback to have a 100 QBR in nine games this season. He’s played outstanding. They want to keep him there.
“To me, the only potential issue is that as his price continues to go up, will someone else poach him away from Seattle with a bigger offer? Because, to me, if I look at what [general manager] John Schneider is going to start with, it’s going to be in that $75, $80 million offer.”
Smith’s Asking Price Could Be $130 Million: Report
The challenge is Smith may have his eyes on a more lucrative deal than the one Seattle is prepared to offer. The Seahawks will also have other options which include signing a veteran in free agency, drafting a quarterback with one of their four selections in the first two rounds or even re-signing Drew Lock. According to Schultz, Seattle will have competition for Smith as there are “other teams who feel he’s worth a significant multi-year deal.”
“They’re not negotiating right now, but there is an understanding that both sides would like this to work out, ideally,” Schultz added. “But Geno’s not going to just take $80 million, $100 million. I think now that number is well over $120, $130 [million]. It’s getting into that range, and so Seattle has to make a decision.
“They’ve paid DK [Metcalf], they’ve paid Tyler [Lockett]. Obviously Jamal Adams, they’ve paid a lot of guys, but Geno ultimately is the biggest decision because he’s a quarterback. And this is considered a pretty good quarterback class, if they have a top-three pick, they could get one of those guys.”
The Seahawks Could Draft a QB & Still Re-Sign Smith
This type of contract would put the Seahawks back in the big money quarterback business, something the team moved away from after trading Russell Wilson to Denver. It will be interesting to see if Seattle is willing to go this high if Smith’s market demands a deal beyond $100 million. The Seahawks could point to Smith’s ascension after struggling at his other stops and believe the team can do something similar with a cheaper quarterback.
It is worth noting that the Seahawks have lost three of their last four games, and Smith is coming off his worst performance of the season after throwing two costly interceptions during the team’s 30-24 upset loss to the Panthers. Former agent Joel Corry believes the Seahawks could look to draft a quarterback as a potential leverage play amid Smith’s negotiations. The challenge is that free agency begins in March, more than a month before the draft gets underway on April 27, and the Seahawks would be in danger of the quarterback joining another team.
“It looks like it’s most definitely gonne be a top-10 pick, and it could be in the top-five, which would put you in striking distance of drafting a (top) quarterback,” Corry noted during a November 22 interview with Seattle Sports’ “Bump and Stacy.” “So do you hedge your bets and draft a quarterback this year which would, in a sense, take away some of Geno’s leverage with the team? So that’s an interesting variable in the equation as well.”
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