The future is bright for the Seattle Seahawks. Exceeding all expectations in 2022, the organization has a chance to take another step towards building a championship team with an abundance of cap space and draft picks this offseason. One of the first things they should take care of is bringing back quarterback Geno Smith.
What Geno Smith did in 2022 was an absolute shock to everybody. It is something we’ve never seen before. A 10-year veteran who rode the bench for years, going from team to team, took the league by storm when given his opportunity.
At this time a year ago, it seems that the Seahawks franchise was in flux. Two of the remaining pillars from the 2013 Super Bowl team were gone; Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner. With a 70-year-old (at the time) head coach, multiple draft picks, and no quarterback, truly no one knew what to expect from the Seahawks.
Seattle Seahawks: Geno Smith’s 2022 final grade
Seattle remained true to itself and their competitive philosophy. Acquiring Drew Lock via the Russell Wilson trade, they decided to move forward with a quarterback competition between Drew Lock and Geno Smith. The idea of a quarterback competition between those two was mocked around the league.
Although I wasn’t laughing, I didn’t expect much success for this season regardless of who won the position.
Expectations
When the news broke that Geno Smith would be the starting quarterback entering Week 1, my initial thought was, this is a nice story for Smith. I believed that even more so after the shocking victory over the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. But, I never truly believed that this Seahawks team would end up as a Wild Card team.
Looking at their schedule, I figured they’d get about 5-to-6 wins – Broncos, Lions, Giants, Jets, Panthers & Cardinals. With the youth of this roster and a quarterback in Geno Smith who no one saw consistent starts in over a decade, I didn’t have high hopes. Quite frankly, even if they did finish with 5 or 6 wins, I still would have seen the season as a success. The consensus surrounding the Seahawks entering the season was that they’d be the worst team in the league. But, boy, just like everyone else, I was wrong.
The reality of Geno’s 2022
The truth is Geno Smith performed as a top-10 quarterback in this league. During certain stretches, he was a top 5 quarterback in this league. He finished the season with the following accolades:
He had the best completion percentage in the NFL (69.8 percent). He set the franchise record for the Seattle Seahawks.
He had the 4th most TDs thrown in the NFL (30).
He had the 8th-most passing yards (4,282) and set the franchise record for the Seattle Seahawks.
He set the Seattle Seahawks franchise record for completions (399) and finished 6th in the NFL.
Geno set the Seattle Seahawks franchise record attempts (572) and finished 8th in the NFL.
Smith tied for first in TD passes of 20+ yards (13).
He was a Pro Bowler and he still has yet to write back.
“They wrote me off, but I ain't write back.” 🔥
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 13, 2022
Geno Smith feeling himself
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/VkHKtnK8l2
Of course, throughout the course of the season, there were plenty of ups and downs. Most notably, a poor performance against the Carolina Panthers that could have been costly if Seattle missed the playoffs. But, Geno Smith was pretty consistent in showing his resolve and bouncing back in games. Although there were many good moments of Geno this season, in particular, dropping 2 dimes to Tyler Lockett against the Saints, my favorite came from Week 1.
The final grade for Seahawks QB Geno Smith for 2022
In my opinion, the iconic “but I ain’t write back” line set the tone for this season. Geno heard the noise. He knew he would not only have to prove himself to the world but more importantly, to his teammates. Yes, he was a member of the Seahawks for 2 years prior to him starting and guys saw him in practice. But, he was never given the role of being the CEO.
I thought this season was a great testament to the character of Geno Smith. His resiliency was on display all year long. His work ethic won his teammates over. He checked off every box he needed to as the season progressed.
When the Seahawks needed to win a shootout, that’s exactly what Geno did in Week 4 against the Lions. In the following Week 5 against the Saints, Geno rallied this offense from two scores down in the second half to help them take the lead in the 4th quarter. When they needed Geno to be a game manager, he delivered. When everyone kept questioning whether or not he can lead a game-winning drive, he did so at the most critical time of the season in Week 18 to help the Seahawks make the playoffs.
As he mentioned in the post-game presser after the Wild Card round, the Seahawks embraced him. This team is 100 percent sold on Geno being a part of their future plans. Quite frankly, so am I. I think we can confidently say this was no fluke season put together by Geno Smith. He is here to stay.
Grade: A