Five Seattle Seahawks who can make themselves major money in 2024
By Lee Vowell
Tyrel Dodson - Seahawks linebacker
Seattle is placing a lot of faith in Dodson as he will be Mike Macdonald's coach on the field. The 2024 free agent signee will be the green dot on the defense and tasked with replacing the production and leader of Bobby Wagner. Dodson probably won't get as many tackles as Wagner - Macdonald's defense is designed differently than Pete Carroll's was so the linebackers don't need to tackle as much - but Dodson needs to be as efficient.
Dodson did not start much in his first three years, and he only started in 2024 due to other linebacker injuries on his Buffalo Bills team. He appeared to be great in pass coverage and could be used on blitzes, but can he replicate his 2023 success with Seattle for a full season? No one really knows.
He should be a great fit in Macdonald's scheme, though, and he could develop into a Pro Bowl. His one-year contract with Seattle is relatively cheap, at least compared to other linebackers in the NFL. He has a cap hit of $4,260,000. Should he have the best season of his career this year, he could see that number rise to $10 million or more in 2025.
Geno Smith - Seahawks quarterback
This is a make-or-break season for Geno Smith. He has proven to be worthy of being a starting quarterback in the league, but he will be faced with learning a new offense for the first time since becoming the Seahawks' starter. If Smith struggles at the beginning of the season, Seattle could decide to let backup Sam Howell have a go at being QB1.
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Financially speaking, Howell is the much better option beyond 2024. Both Smith and Howell are signed through 2025, but releasing Smith would save the team around $25 million next offseason. That number in itself is more than enough to put Seattle back into positive territory in cap space. Howell only cost the team a bit over $1 million next year.
If Smith has another good year, and potentially a great one under new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, then he should make a lot of money in 2025. His cap hit jumps from $26.4 million this season to $38.5 million next year. If he plays well, he will have earned his contract.
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