Getty The Seahawks have multiple quarterback options beyond Geno Smith.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll made it clear that the team heard all the doubts about considering Geno Smith as an option to be their QB1. Now, it may be Carroll getting the last laugh as Smith has emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the league, and the Seahawks coach has no problem admitting he heard the noise all offseason.
“You guys thought we were all f***** up,” Carroll told Sport’s Illustrated’s Albert Breer during an October 24, 2022 story.
Carroll’s comments came after the Seahawks topped the Chargers, and Smith did not let up in Week 8 as the quarterback’s strong second half led the team to victory over the Giants. The Seahawks quarterback may be exceeding expectations, but Carroll cited the veteran’s play when Russell Wilson was sidelined with a finger injury in 2021 as one of the reasons the team was optimistic about Smith.
“This didn’t come out of nowhere; we saw it every day,” Carroll noted. “But we were so [wrapped up] with the way we were playing and all that, we didn’t really give him a chance to ever compete to take the job. He really didn’t. He was the backup. That was understood. But last year, he played three games, half of the Rams game and two other games, and then he popped out in the Jacksonville game and had a near-perfect game. He was 15-for-15 to start the game. That’s when you could really see this isn’t that hard for him; he can do it.
Smith: ‘I Think We’re Built to Last for This Season & Many Seasons’
Still not writing back.
3 straight wins for @GenoSmith3 and the @Seahawks.
Another person unsurprised by this season is Smith himself. The Seahawks face a decision on Smith’s future this upcoming offseason with the veteran set to hit free agency. Smith is due for a sizable raise from his current $3.5 million salary, but Seattle’s QB1 believes the current team is built to last.
“I think we’re built to last for this season and many seasons,” Smith told NBC Sports’ Peter King on October 24. “But ultimately, it comes down to what we do, not what we say. It’s about the work we put in. it’s about the consistency. And our preparation and consistency and our togetherness. That’s all that matters. As long as we continue to build together, the sky’s the limit. It takes work. It takes hard work. We gotta embrace that part of it.”
Carroll on Smith: ‘You Guys Thought We Were All F***** Up’
The throw by @GenoSmith3 was chefs kiss. 🤌
📺 #NYGvsSEA on FOX
There may not be a lot of recent history with veteran quarterbacks who struggled early in their careers who have undergone a late transformation, but Carroll believed there was enough evidence that it was possible for Smith. Carroll cited past players Rich Gannon, Steve Young and Ryan Fitzpatrick as quarterbacks who turned around their careers late.
“And then he goes back to the bench and then we never see him again. …It happened to a number of guys,” Carroll added. “If you keep looking at home, you’ll find guys that have come back after years out, and they come back and they ain’t the same guy anymore. Richie Gannon is one of those guys. We’ve talked about [Jim] Plunkett. We’ve talked about even Steve Young. Guys that sat for a long time and then when they come back, they just see the game differently.”