Ranking every Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback ever
By Luke Allen
4. Geno Smith
Geno Smith was famously written off after being a second-round pick by the New York Jets in 2013 and bouncing around the league until he was signed by the Seahawks in 2019 to serve as the backup to Russell Wilson. Smith was actually waived by the Seahawks in 2019 but made his way back to the roster in 2020. In 2021, Wilson injured his throwing hand in week five, and Smith replaced him for the next four games. He finished the season with 702 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception.
Seattle must've been fairly impressed with Smith's 2021 campaign because the following offseason, the team made a blockbuster trade, sending Russell Wilson to the Broncos for a plethora of players and draft picks, including quarterback Drew Lock. Smith and Lock competed for the starting job prior to the 2022 season, with Smith winning convincingly. Smith started all 17 games for the Seahawks in 2022.
After a shockingly good season, in which the Seahawks snuck into the playoffs at 9-8, Geno Smith was named AP Comeback Player of the Year. Smith led the entire league in completion percentage, 69.8 percent, and set a career-high in passing yards with 4,282.
His 30-11 touchdown to interception ratio was also a career-best. Smith thoroughly outplayed Russell Wilson, who struggled in Denver and made the trade one of the most lopsided in NFL history. Smith signed a three-year deal with Seattle following his successful 2022 campaign.
In 2023, Smith started the year on fire, but suffered a series of nagging injuries that sidelined him for a few games. In one of the games he was injured in, Smith returned to the field and orchestrated a drive to set up for the game-winning field goal against the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, Myers missed the field goal.
Throughout the 2023 season, Smith set an NFL record for most go-ahead touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and overtime, with seven. In 15 games started, Smith went 8-7 with 3,624 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Smith figures to be the starter in 2024. In his Seattle career, Smith is 18-17 with an 0-1 playoff record. He holds a few Seattle records: highest completion percentage in a season, most passing yards in a season, most completions in a season, and most attempts in a season.