Adam Schefter reveals what he truly thinks about Seahawks QB Geno Smith

There appears to be a common narrative about Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith that he does not play well in high-stress situations or big games. The issue with this argument is that it's a lazy one to make. Also, the narrative is false.

Smith is not the best quarterback in the league. He isn't even a top-five QB, but he is a good quarterback. He also does not buckle when games are tight. Among the 22 quarterbacks who threw 100 or more passes in the fourth quarters of games in 2023, Smith was seventh in both completion percentage and quarterback rating. Bad quarterbacks don't do that.

He also led the league in game-winning drives and fourth quarter comebacks last year. If one does not like Smith, the argument needs to be better that he isn't good under pressure. The statistics would not support their opinion.

ESPN's Adam Schefter believes Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is pretty good

Perhaps if the team was better around Smith, he would have to do less late in games. If the defense helped the offense by giving up fewer third down conversions, for instance. Or possibly if defenses did not know what was coming so much - Seattle threw the ball the fifth-most times in the league, by percentage, in 2023, and forgot about the run many times, Smith would be allowed to be more efficient.

ESPN's Adam Schefter has higher esteem for Smith than most. During a recent appearance on Seattle Sports 710 AM, Schefter said of Smith, "(Some) people may not think much of him, but I thought he was very solid when he stepped in and was given the opportunity. And here’s a guy who’s been denied an opportunity throughout his career, and when he finally got one, I thought he made the most of it."

It is odd that so many dislike Smith so much. He isn't Patrick Mahomes, of course, but he is a top-half-of-the-league quarterback. His total QBR over the last two seasons bears that out. For anyone who watched the Seahawks' 31st-ranked defense and an offensive line that was 31st in pass-rush win rate in 2023 and thought, "Yep, Geno Smith is the problem," then it is their right to have that opinion.

But that is all that kind of thinking is: Opinion and not fact. There are no numbers that prove Smith was anywhere close to being one of the top issues for the Seahawks the last two years.

Whether Geno Smith is good enough to lead his team to a Super Bowl is a different question. He may be, but his team hasn't been good enough to get close to that level. In his one playoff game as the starter of the Seahawks, he wasn't bad. Against a far more talented San Francisco 49ers quarterback in the 2022 playoffs, Smith was 25 of 35 for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. His quarterback rating was a solid 98.9. Good enough to win had his team been better.

Smith does need to have a good season in 2024, though. He gets expensive in 2025 while his backup, Sam Howell, is much less expensive and is ten years younger than Smith. Still, no matter who the quarterback is for the Seahawks, fans should want them to do well, of course. That should mean a lot of games are being won, unless the defense is bad again, of course.

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