Geno Smith wants it done and the Seattle Seahawks aren't ready. As far back as this past offseason, Smith's agent contacted Seattle to try to work out an extension. The deal would have been the most un-John Schneider thing ever, though. Seattle's general manager doesn't like to give extensions many times even a year before a contract is up, let alone two full seasons.
Seattle's QB1 is currently signed through 2025, and his cap hit will be $38.5 million next season. That is a lot of money, of course, but not nearly as much as the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. Smith's number ranks just 12th in the league. Is he the 12th-best quarterback, though?
That is one of the questions the Seahawks have to ask themselves before signing Smith to an extension. How good is he really? And is the quarterback truly capable of leading the offense to great enough efficiency to deliver wins in the playoffs, should Seattle ever get back to the postseason? Or should Seattle start over at the position and try to be great in 2026?
Geno Smith wants an extension but the Seattle Seahawks are not ready to commit just yet
According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, Smith wants a long-term commitment from the team. Maybe that means another three-year extension, the kind of which he signed in 2022. If that happens, Smith will be 38 years old at the end of a deal that would run through 2028.
The oddity about Smith, though, is that he is different than many other 38 year old QBs. He did not start for the greater part of a decade and, therefore, did not take week-to-week punishment like other quarterbacks. He might now be 34 years old, but he likely is more of an equivalent of a 30-year-old.
Let's throw out age being as much of an issue for Smith as other quarterbacks his age. The real issue is consistent productivity and limiting mistakes. Seattle simply cannot keep Smith at QB1 if he continues to have turnovers in the red zone. He leads the league with four red zone interceptions this season, and he should have had a fifth against the Chicago Bears in Week 17.
Seattle and Smith have just one game left in the season. The quarterback cannot do enough in that one game to make up for his red zone errors, especially if the game is meaningless as the Los Angeles Rams have the division wrapped up. Whether to offer Smith an extension this offseason will need to be based on his three-year performance. The Seahawks should likely just wait to see what happens in the 2025 season before working out any kind of extension.