Getty Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll made it clear who has the early lead in the 2022 QB battle.
With training camp kicking off for the Seattle Seahawks, fans and media members are wondering who the starting quarterback will be for Week 1. There’s still plenty of time for that to change, but head coach Pete Carroll is keeping everyone in the loop about who is leading the QB battle at the start of camp.
The Seahawks currently have three quarterbacks on their 90-man roster, with Drew Lock and Geno Smith fighting for the starting job while Jacob Eason is projected to be the backup. It’s still early, but at the start of training camp Carroll let everyone know that Smith is the early favorite to win the starting job.
“Geno is in the lead right now,” Carroll told reporters at the start of training camp. “He’s ahead and…he ain’t looking back. He’s going for it, and Drew [Lock] is not going to take a back seat, so something’s going to happen, and Jacob [Eason] will be there if we need him. So it’s going to be exciting to see.”
An update on the QB competition from @PeteCarroll ⬇️
Lock is still getting comfortable with his new team after being traded from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade. That means there’s still a chance for him to get settled in and win the QB competition, but as of right now it’s Smith’s job to lose.
Geno Smith’s Experience Makes Him the Early QB1 Favorite
While his NFL career hasn’t been the most impressive, Smith’s time in Seattle has prepared him for an opportunity to become the team’s starter in 2022.
Smith was a college football star by the end of his time at West Virginia. With two dynamic receivers in Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey, Smith and the Mountaineers had one of the most electric offenses in the nation. Smith finished his final college season with 4,205 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, and just six interceptions while completing 71.2 percent of his passes.
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The Seahawks quarterback was so impressive in college that the school recently announced that Smith will be inducted into the West Virginia Hall of Fame in 2022.
After a strong career at West Virginia, Smith was taken by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Despite a respectable rookie season as the starter in 2013, Smith struggled to hold onto the start job in New York, and by 2015 he was moved to the bench and replaced in the starting lineup by Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Smith then eventually left the Jets and served as the backup for the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers before winding up with the Seahawks in 2019 to play behind the team’s star quarterback in Russell Wilson. Despite almost never seeing the field, Smith stepped up when called upon in 2021.
With Wilson dealing with a finger injury, Smith came in and played at a high level in 2021. In four games, he posted an impressive 103.0 passer rating with five touchdowns and just one interception.
After a strong showing last year, Smith is out to the early lead in the 2022 QB competition, but he can’t get complacent if he wants to be the Week 1 starter.
Could the Seahawks Still Add Another QB?
If the Seahawks don’t like what they see from Lock or Smith throughout training camp, then there’s still an outside chance that the team makes a move for another quarterback. That being said, there are few realistic options still out there.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo remains the most realistic option, with the Seahawks being the top projected landing spot for the 30-year-old. Garoppolo has been given permission to seek a trade, but with his offseason shoulder surgery and hefty contract, it will be hard for the 49ers to find a suitable trade partner. The Seahawks being a division rival makes a potential move even more difficult.
Outside of Garoppolo, the only other realistic options remaining are backups on other teams like Gardner Minshew in Philadelphia or Jordan Love in Green Bay. Even then, it’s unclear if either team is interested in parting with their backup, and whether or not they would be an upgrade over Lock or Smith.
Regardless, a move for a quarterback becomes less likely the closer Week 1 gets, and with training camp already underway, Seahawks fans should prepare for Smith or Lock to star under center.
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Pete Carroll Shares Update on Seahawks QB Competition