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The Seattle Seahawks will look remarkably different in 2024, and questions continue to surround what the team will do at quarterback. General manager John Schneider will make the final call but is sure to get input from new head coach Mike Macdonald on what to do at the position.
Geno Smith is under contract through 2025, but the team faces a decision on his contract by February 16, 2024. Smith’s deal has an out that allows Seattle to move on from the quarterback this offseason but would come with a $17.4 million dead cap hit. Backup quarterback Drew Lock is a free agent, making the future at the position even more complicated.
Former Seahawks general manager Randy Mueller believes Seattle is a potential landing spot for New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson. The longtime NFL exec estimates that Wilson’s trade value is about a fifth-round pick.
Wilson would be more of a high upside play as a QB2 rather than an immediate replacement for Smith. Why would the Seahawks be willing to swap a fifth rounder for Wilson?
“Seattle would make some sense because Drew Lock is not the long-term [solution] there,” Mueller told Heavy Sports’ Paul Esden in a January 10 interview. “We all know what Geno is. So, depending on who they hire as a coach, that could be a fallback option as well. I think there’ll be some opportunities for teams looking for backup quarterbacks there always is well.”
Seahawks Rumors: Seattle Could Be a Potential Trade Destination for Jets QB Zach Wilson
Wilson’s struggles in New York have been well-documented, but the quarterback is still just 24 years old. There is a difference in acquiring a quarterback for a late-round pick versus selecting one with the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Wilson has been unable to live up to these lofty expectations. This does not mean the former No. 2 pick still does not have trade value.
“I do think there will be a market for him,” Mueller added. “Not necessarily as a starter, but I think there will be several teams that inquire and kick the tires. To that end, I think they [Jets] can probably get a 5th round pick for him.’
“…Most of the other NFL teams, they’ll put some blame on Zach. They’ll put more blame on the Jets system, the offense and the positions that they’ve put him in.”
Wilson is heading into the final season of a four-year, $35 million rookie deal. The quarterback is slated to have a $1 million salary in 2024, but the cap hit tops $11 million.
Seahawks QB Geno Smith ‘Less Than a Lock’ to Remain in Seattle: Insider
The bigger question is whether the Seahawks will give Smith a season to prove himself under the new coaching staff. At this point, it would be an upset if Smith was not the team’s starting quarterback in 2024. Yet, with Pete Carroll no longer acting as the head coach, Smith’s future does not feel as certain.
“Smith has felt like less than a lock to remain in place after his up-and-down 2023, particularly since Carroll was fired,” ESPN’s Brady Henderson wrote in a January 31, 2024 story titled, “Mike Macdonald hired as Seahawks coach: Seattle fit, NFL buzz.” “Carroll was one of Smith’s biggest supporters in the organization and had final say over personnel decisions.
“That power now belongs to general manager John Schneider, and while he will ultimately decide what to do with Smith and the QB situation, he will weigh input from his new head coach. It’s worth noting in that regard that Smith’s worst performance as a Seahawk came in the blowout loss to Baltimore in November, when he posted his lowest Total QBR (12.1) in 35 starts with Seattle.”
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