Seahawks Predicted to Make Run at ‘Polarizing’ Quarterback in 2024

Getty The Seattle Seahawks rumors are heating up about Geno Smith's future.

The Seattle Seahawks rumors indicate the franchise may be in the market for a quarterback sooner rather than later. Obviously, Geno Smith has plenty of games remaining this season to prove capable of being the team’s QB1 moving forward.

Heading into Week 13, Smith faces an uphill battle after an underwhelming start to the season throwing 8 interceptions compared to 12 touchdowns. Seattle’s upcoming schedules features challenging matchups against the Cowboys, 49ers, Eagles and Steelers.

All these factors has The Athletic’s Dane Brugler predicting Seattle will select a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Brugler has the Seahawks snagging Michigan signal-caller J.J. McCarthy with the No. 22 pick. The NFL analyst labels McCarthy as a “polarizing prospect” heading into the draft.

“McCarthy is a polarizing prospect,” Brugler detailed in his November 29, 2023 mock draft. “He has all the tools, and NFL coaches will love the intangibles, but evaluators want to see him put the offense on his back and take over games. It’s not that he can’t, it’s that he hasn’t really needed to given Michigan’s play style and schedule.”

NFL Draft 2024: J.J. McCarthy Is Drawing Comparisons to Vikings Quarterback Kirk Cousins

For added context, McCarthy is the fourth quarterback coming off the board in Brugler’s latest mock draft. The NFL draft analyst has Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels all being selected inside the top 10.

Seattle faces a challenge in landing their next quarterback via the 2024 NFL draft. The Seahawks are without a second-round selection and projected to pick when several of the top quarterbacks will already be off the board.

Heading into the Big Ten title game, McCarthy has thrown for 2,483 yards, 19 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. McCarthy has also added 181 rushing yards and 3 touchdown. ESPN’s Matt Miller notes that the buzz around the NFL is that McCarthy compares to Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.

“A scout for an AFC team who was watching the game texted me that McCarthy is ‘a better moving Kirk Cousins,’ a compliment to his efficient and accurate style of play,” Miller detailed on September 11 in a piece titled, “Top NFL draft prospects, risers, buzz, notes from CFB Week 2.”

Seahawks Rumors: Geno Smith May Be Playing for His Job in the Final Weeks of the NFL Season

Smith signed a three-year, $75 million contract with Seattle last offseason. The details allow for the Seahawks to treat it more like a one-year deal, potentially moving away from the veteran as soon as 2024.

“General manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll see Seattle as a win-now team, but at some point, they will invest in a young quarterback to develop,” Brugler adds.

ESPN’s Brady Henderson believes Smith may be playing for his job in the final weeks of the season. A closer look at Smith’s contract reveals why the Seahawks rumors are heating up about the team potentially looking for a new quarterback.

“But what were initially reported to be incentives were actually escalators, a key distinction,” Henderson wrote in a November 30 feature titled, “Can Geno Smith prove he’s the Seahawks’ long-term QB answer?”. “Whereas incentives are guaranteed, Smith’s escalators are tied to non-guaranteed roster bonuses and thus work much differently. If he’s on the roster on the fifth day of free agency in March, the Seahawks will owe him a $9.6 million bonus that could escalate to as high as $24.6 million based on Smith’s performance in 2023.

“… But the ice-cold reality of the NFL is unless Smith plays up to his potential and elevates above the issues around him over the final month of the season, the Seahawks could conceivably be wary of paying that kind of money to a 33-year-old quarterback coming off a down year.”