Getty The Seahawks quarterback competition has begun between Drew Lock and Geno Smith.
There is an ongoing quarterback competition with the Seattle Seahawks, but Geno Smith and Drew Lock sound like best friends. The pressure will intensify once training camp begins in July, but Smith admitted that Lock is “cool as heck.”
“Man, Drew’s cool as heck,” Smith explained during a June 8, 2022 press conference. “I love Drew to death, just getting a chance to meet him and getting a chance to know him. Got a lot of swag, he’s a young guy. He can throw it, got all the ability in the world.
“He’s very smart and just one of the guys, man. He’s one of the guys. He’s got a great feel for the locker room. Guys love him, love talking to him. You see him rapping Jeezy and all that cool stuff. So, he’s just one of the guys, man. Really like Drew.”
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Smith Is Viewed as the Early Leader to Be the Seahawks QB1
QB work 💪
The Seahawks have deferred to Smith as the early favorite to be the team’s QB1, but there is still plenty of time for things to change. Smith is getting the early nod mostly due to the veteran quarterback spending the past three seasons in Seattle, including starting three games in 2021 when Russell Wilson was sidelined. The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar views Smith as having the early lead but added that Lock has the traits to potentially win the job by Week 1.
“Both Smith and Lock have a long way to go before they earn the job,” Dugar wrote on June 8. “Smith has the lead, for obvious reasons: He’s seasoned, knows the system, knows the coaching staff and has protected the ball better when serving as a starter. But Lock has plenty of time to catch him. There are similarities between Seattle’s offense and the one Denver ran in 2019, Lock’s rookie year. Plus, Lock has a strong arm and can move in the pocket, as he demonstrated on the final throw of the day Wednesday [June 8].”
Lock: ‘We’re Both Trying to Be the Starter for This Team’
Geno Smith, Drew Lock airing it out to begin Seahawks minicamp. Still Smith 1, Lock 2 so far @thenewstribune
Lock echoed what Smith revealed about the relationship the two quarterbacks have built since the blockbuster trade with the Broncos was completed in March. The newest Seahawks quarterback admitted “we’re both trying to be the starter” but are attempting to be supportive during the competition.
“Well, for one, I feel like me and Geno are both very mature adults,” Lock noted during his June 8 media session. “We both understand that we’re both trying to be the starter for this team. We’re not stepping on each other’s shoes. We’re not getting mad at one another. It’s just, ‘Alright, he took it that day. I took it this day. I broke us down this time. He broke us down this time, whatever it may be.’
“…They need to feel both of us, that’s kind of been our philosophy. It’s been really nice, it’s been really easy. I appreciate the way Geno’s handled it, and I hope he’s appreciated the way that I’ve handled it as well.”