Getty The Seattle Seahawks could turn to other options if Geno Smith's asking price becomes too much.
A lot has changed since Geno Smith battled Drew Lock in training camp to emerge as the Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback. Despite head coach Pete Carroll leaving the door open for Lock at the beginning of the season, Smith took a firm grip of the QB1 spot and never looked back.
Now, the Seahawks are heading towards a difficult decision on whether to give Smith a lucrative new contract this offseason. Smith is due for a major pay raise from his $3.5 million salary as the veteran hits free agency. The Athletic’s Mike Sando suggests the Seahawks could turn back to Lock for 2023 if Smith’s asking price becomes too high.
“The Seahawks’ handling of the quarterback situation has been a revelation, but it’s not yet clear what has been revealed,” Sando wrote on November 25, 2022. “Is Geno Smith this good? Was Russell Wilson that bad? Would Seattle, emboldened by its success with Smith, think it could fare similarly well with Drew Lock if the price tag for re-signing Smith seemed too high? What quarterbacks might be available to Seattle in the draft? The Seahawks are loaded with picks, after all. The next couple months will reveal plenty.”
Agent on Smith’s Next Contract: ‘His Value Is Highest With Seattle’
Lock is also a free agent, and Seattle would still need to re-sign the former Broncos quarterback to a new deal. The number would likely be remarkably less than Smith given the quarterback’s performance this season. Carroll has continued to praise Lock throughout the season despite his inability to win the starting gig, but Seattle’s best option is to re-sign Smith to a reasonable new deal.
It remains to be seen how much competition the Seahawks will have for Smith this offseason given the relatively small sample size of success. One NFL agent told Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson that Seattle is going to be willing to pay Smith more than any other team.
“His value is highest with Seattle,” the agent noted for a November 21 feature. “He’s been there and he’s a leader who fits the culture of what they do. I honestly don’t know if anyone else would be willing to pay him what Seattle will. He’s just worth more in Seattle because there’s proof it already works there.”
The Seahawks Want Smith as the Team’s QB1 for 2023: Report
From @NFLGameDay Kickoff: #Seahawks QB Geno Smith has done enough to be the team’s starter in 2023, with contract talks expected after the season.
The Seahawks have been vocal about their desire to retain both Smith and Lock in free agency. All indications are that Smith will be the team’s top priority this offseason, but it will be interesting to see how lucrative of a deal Seattle is willing to offer the veteran.
The Seahawks’ success without Russell Wilson could give the front office confidence that the franchise has a system in place that would allow multiple quarterbacks to succeed. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport previously reported that Seattle has seen enough from Smith to offer him a long-term contract after the season.
“My understanding is Geno Smith has in fact done enough to convince Seattle that he should be their starting quarterback in the 2023 season,” Rapoport detailed on November 13. “For Geno Smith it has been a series of one-year deals in Seattle. He’s been the backup to Russell Wilson for years and years. Now, the Seahawks are expected to make a long-term contract extension offer to him. Not during the season likely, but after the season to make sure that he is there for the foreseeable future.”