The Seattle Seahawks are keeping Geno Smith on the roster, but the team still appears undecided on his future. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Brady Henderson both reported that the team considers Smith’s current contract a “value” with the potential remaining for Seattle to move the quarterback in a trade.
If the Seahawks opt to trade Smith, it likely will be before March 18, 2024 when the quarterback has a $9.6 million roster bonus due. The decision to retain Smith does not necessarily mean the quarterback will be in Seattle next season.
“Smith is now assured of collecting that $12.7 million, though he isn’t necessarily assured of remaining with Seattle next season as the Seahawks could trade him before March 18,” Henderson wrote in a February 15 story titled, “Sources: Seahawks to let QB Geno Smith collect $12.7 million.”
“…The Seahawks believed that, with salaries soaring for starting quarterbacks in today’s market, the right decision was to guarantee Smith’s $12.7 million, sources told Schefter. Now Smith will represent a value to them — or any other team that decides to reach out to see if it can acquire Smith via trade.”
Seahawks Rumors: Seattle Could Explore a Trade for Geno Smith Before March 18
Some how. Some way.
Smith signed a three-year, $75 million contract with Seattle during the 2023 offseason. The deal is slated to run through the 2025 season, but the Seahawks had an out in Smith’s contract this offseason. Seattle would have had to take a $17.4 million dead cap hit by releasing Smith prior to February 16.
Instead, the Seahawks will now have the next month to decide if the team will trade Smith. There are clearly a number of factors that would have to line up for Seattle to move on from Smith.
Namely, another team would have to come calling general manager John Schneider to acquire Smith. It remains to be seen what Smith’s trade value would be, and the franchise would have to be willing to take on the remaining two seasons of Smith’s deal. Finally, the Seahawks would need to have an alternative option for a new starting quarterback either through the NFL draft or via free agency.
New Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald Has Remained Non-Committal to Geno Smith
Smith’s future remains more uncertain without Pete Carroll as head coach. Henderson is not convinced that new head coach Mike Macdonald is sold on Smith as the team’s QB1.
“Smith’s future with the Seahawks has seemed uncertain after his up-and-down season and the recent shakeup in Seattle’s power structure,” Henderson added. “Mike Macdonald replaced Pete Carroll as coach while general manager John Schneider was given final say on personnel matters, which used to belong to Carroll.
“Neither Schneider nor Macdonald have made public comments committing to Smith as Seattle’s starter in 2024. In his introductory news conference this month, Macdonald called Smith a ‘really good player’ but seemed to allude to his uncertain future by saying, ‘we’ll see how the whole situation shakes out over time.'”
There is a third path where Seattle keeps Smith but drafts a quarterback of the future. Macdonald has ties to J.J. McCarthy from his Michigan Wolverines days. New Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb had the same role with the Washington Huskies where he coached Michael Penix Jr.
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Seahawks Quarterback Trade Possibility Teased by Insider