As almost any Seattle Seahawks fan knows, the team traded quarterback Geno Smith this offseason and replaced him less than a week later with free agent Sam Darnold. Smith had been Seattle's starting quarterback for three years but wanted out. He wanted the kind of money the Seahawks were unlikely to give him, at least in terms of guaranteed money.
It is significant that after Smith left, few, if any, current Seattle players went to social media to express how unhappy they were with the move. The silence should have been felt loudly about a player who was supposed to be a leader on the team.
Maybe some knew that Smith was still communicating with former head coach Pete Carroll and saw that as disrespectful toward new coach Mike Macdonald. The team had a young roster; many had not worked with Carroll long. Macdonald was their new guy.
Seahawks' Mike Macdonald might have implied why Sam Darnold is better for the team than Geno Smith
But what is clear is that Smith wanted out of Seattle. When contract extension negotiations were not proceeding as the quarterback liked, he requested a trade. General manager John Schneider honored the request quickly and moved Smith to Carroll's new team, the Las Vegas Raiders. Smith, though, had been a productive player, so replacing him would not be easy.
Darnold was signed to a three-year deal that paid him an average of around $33 million. He was going to be less expensive than Smith and seven years younger. There might be an even more important reason to bring in Darnold while Smith leaves: the new Seahawks quarterback might be a better leader and fit with the team.
Smith was often volatile and showed his frustration on the sidelines. This seemingly irked wide receiver DK Metcalf, as it has been rumored that Metcalf and Smith did not always get along. Darnold appears much more even-keeled, which should be good for a young team.
dark. Next. Pete Carroll and Geno Smith slap Seahawks in the face one last time. Pete Carroll and Geno Smith slap Seahawks in the face one last time
Mike Macdonald implied as much in a recent interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. He did not say Smith was a poor leader, but what he said about Darnold could mean that the new quarterback will be better in the locker room than the old quarterback.
Macdonald said, "It's been really cool to hear about people that have had a relationship with him in his life kind of throughout his journey, and all positive things they say about him...I'm most excited about the person, the leader, the teammate, that guy that we get to work with every day. I think he's in a great spot from our conversations. I think he's energized, he's driven and just like the rest of us in the building, so he's going to fit right in."
Again, none of that directly says Smith was a bad leader, but we might be able to read between the proverbial lines. No Seahawks teammate has gone on at length about Smith leaving, and many seem ready to begin the Sam Darnold era. There is no culture breakdown, and team chemistry could be even better with the new quarterback.
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