The Seattle Seahawks rumors are swirling about potential quarterbacks as the team attempts to save their season. Seattle has Geno Smith under contract through the 2025 season, but the Seahawks are being mentioned as a potential landing spot for a quarterback in the coming months.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler labeled the Seahawks as a potential “surprise participant in the QB market” this offseason.
“Yeah, Seattle feels like a team to watch, depending on how the rest of the season shakes out,” Fowler wrote in a December 6, 2023 article titled, “NFL Week 14 latest buzz, fantasy tips and upset predictions.”
“Geno Smith’s guaranteed money is up after 2023. But that doesn’t mean the Seahawks want to move on. Smith is a capable starter coming off an impressive 334-yard game against Dallas, and his $31.2 million cap hit next season is respectable for NFL starters.
“But if Seattle decides to go young at QB, that would place Smith’s future into question. The Seahawks have spent the past two years building the strength of the overall roster for the post-Russell Wilson era. Soon enough, that could include drafting a quarterback high in Round 1.”
Seahawks Rumors: Geno Smith’s Deal Allows Seattle to Move on in 2024
Geno Smith on Michael Penix using his didn’t write back line last week.
As Fowler noted, the Seahawks have the option to keep Smith for 2024. The veteran’s three-year, $75 million contract runs through the 2025 season. There is so much buzz about Smith’s future because Seattle has an out in the quarterback’s deal this offseason.
Financially, it would be preferable for Seattle to hang onto Smith in order to avoid a dead cap hit of $17.4 million by releasing the quarterback. Given how many teams need quarterbacks, the Seahawks could also look to trade the veteran. ESPN’s Dan Graziano added that Seattle did their due diligence on quarterbacks during the offseason.
“Yeah, the Seahawks did look around at the QBs in the 2023 draft when they had the No. 5 pick from the Wilson trade with the Broncos,” Graziano noted.
NFL Draft 2024: Top Quarterbacks Are Projected to Be Gone When the Seahawks Pick
The quickest way to land a new franchise quarterback is via the draft. Seattle could find it challenging to find someone who would be considered a potential upgrade to the team’s current situation.
Heading into Week 15, the Seahawks hold the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has the top three quarterbacks going inside the top 10 in his latest mock draft.
USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels are all projected to be gone within the first seven picks, per Brugler. Smith has not been flawless this season, but the Seahawks also have plenty of holes on the team. This will not stop the Seahawks rumors from churning if Seattle does not turn around their season.
This was on full display when Drew Lock filled in admirably for Smith in Week 15, but the team made too many mistakes to overcome. Earlier this season, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll discussed what he would need to see in order to make a potential quarterback change.
“It should be an obvious situation that a guy’s not doing his part, and you have to declare where the issues are,” Carroll said during the November 6 interview with Seattle Sports’ “Brock and Salk.” “Is it with the guys up front not being consistent? Are we not doing our route stuff right? Are we not calling the game for him?
“We have to call all the games for the quarterback. They’re the key, and we have to make sure we’re doing our part there. So, there’s a lot of aspects of that.”
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Seahawks May Make ‘Surprise’ QB Move in 2024: Insider