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The Seattle Seahawks signed Geno Smith to a long-term contract extension, but the franchise may not be done shopping at quarterback. One player the Seahawks have shown an interest in is former Florida star quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Richardson was one of the players Seattle met with during the NFL Combine, and the quarterback felt an “instant rapport” with head coach Pete Carroll, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder. Richardson admitted that seeing the Seahawks and other teams “interested in me… that makes you feel good.” During a separate interview with NFL Network’s Rich Eisen, Richardson noted that his “heart dropped” when he first met Carroll.
“A cool moment came when Richardson met with the Seahawks,” Holder wrote on March 6, 2023. “Richardson said he felt an instant rapport with energetic coach Pete Carroll.
“‘He had this big smile on his face,’ Richardson recalled. ‘We shook hands, and something about it was just different. You only see these guys on TV. And now I’m in their presence and they’re right there talking to me. And they’re interested in me. That makes you feel good.'”
The Seahawks Still Open to Drafting a Quarterback at No. 5, Says Pete Carroll
Seattle signed Smith to a new three-year, $105 million contract, but the Seahawks are exploring the option of potentially drafting a quarterback at No. 5. It remains to be seen if this is posturing to drum up trade offers, or if Seattle is seriously considering a double dip at quarterback.
“That opportunity is absolutely there,” Carroll said about selecting a quarterback at No. 5 during a March 7 interview with Seattle Sports’ “Brock and Salk.” “We can do whatever we need to do, which is a whole other discussion of what’s really exciting. The coaches are working at it and the scouts are working at it to try to position this thing.
“When you’re at (pick) 5, this is different than we’re used to seeing now. This is really fun because you can pretty much predict what’s going to happen with four different choices (before you), so which one is it? We’re alive and all guns are blazing here.”
Anthony Richardson on Meeting Pete Carroll: ‘My Heart Dropped’
Richardson was the star of the combine and could be a perfect fit for Seattle given the quarterback may need some time to develop before being able to be a QB1. The star quarterback is still gushing over his meeting with Carroll at Indianapolis.
“Yes sir, I did [meet with the Seahawks],” Richardson noted during a March 6 interview on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “When I seen Pete Carroll, my heart dropped. I’m like, ‘Whoa.’ You only see this guy on TV, and I was in the same room with him. It felt different.”
Richardson was once viewed as a mid-to-late first-round prospect, but the quarterback’s combine performance has the playmaker potentially catapulting into the top five. While Seattle has left the door open to taking a quarterback early, it would still be a surprise if the Seahawks passed on the top available defenders in the first round given their need to improve the defensive line.
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