Getty The Seahawks have multiple quarterback options beyond Geno Smith.
The Seattle Seahawks and Geno Smith have both said all the right things about pursuing a long-term marriage, but the tone could turn more serious as free agency nears. Smith took to Twitter to share an interesting message which some are taking as a subtweet towards the Seahawks regarding negotiations. The Seahawks quarterback retweeted a July 12, 2022 message noting, “Men lie. Women lie. Numbers don’t lie.” Smith could have been quoting a famous song from rapper Yo Gotti, but the quarterback added an interesting emphasis when quote tweeting his old message.
“Numbers,” Smith emphasized on January 20, 2023 while retweeting his old message.
Seattle Sports’ Mike Salk believes Smith’s tweet is related to his negotiations with the Seahawks, speculating that the team’s initial offer is not the lucrative deal the Pro Bowler is expecting. The Seahawks have already begun conducting business for the offseason as evidenced by the team’s new deal with kicker Jason Myers.
“It sure feels like you told me one thing, you told me you loved me, you told me you wanted me, and the numbers don’t reflect that,” the analyst said regarding Smith’s tweet during the January 23 edition of “Brock and Salk.”
Geno Smith on Free Agency: QB Wants to ‘Repay’ Seahawks for Their Belief in Him
Numbers. https://t.co/3gDKEUHkn9
— Geno (@GenoSmith3) January 20, 2023
During Smith’s final comments heading into the offseason, the quarterback hinted that he would be willing to take less money in order to sign a long-term deal with the Seahawks. An emotional Smith emphasized that he wants to “repay” Seattle for the team’s belief in him after struggling during the beginning of his NFL career.
“I want to finish my career in Seattle,” Smith explained during his final press conference of the season on January 15. “I wanna be here. The town, the city, the team, coach Carroll, the organization, they all [embraced] me. I was a guy who probably could have been out of the league. They embraced me, and I want to repay ’em for that.”
Will Geno Smith Command More Money Than the Seahawks Are Willing to Spend?
Smith’s next contract may have the widest array of projections compared to any other free agent. The veteran had a breakout season in his ninth year in the NFL, a rarity for a pro quarterback. It remains to be seen what Smith’s value will be to other teams in free agency. Smith likely holds the most value to the Seahawks given his success happened within the Seattle system, but it would not be a surprise if quarterback-needy teams make strong offers to the Pro Bowler.
The Seahawks may not let things get to that point as the team has the power to use the franchise tag on Smith if the two sides are unable to reach a long-term agreement. This would be less than ideal for Seattle as the estimated $32.4 million salary, per Over the Cap, would eat up a large portion of the team’s cap space. According to Spotrac, the Seahawks are projected to have $31.5 million in cap space this offseason.
Spotrac pointed to past deals for quarterbacks like Derek Carr, Matt Ryan, Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford as a baseline for Smith’s new contract. These projections put Smith’s base calculated value at a three-year, $105 million deal, but we will see if Seattle is willing to eclipse the $100 million mark for the veteran.