Quarterback rankings: Seahawks QB Geno Smith up, Russell Wilson down

Pro Football Focus (yes, you must subscribe) produced its latest quarterback rankings and Seahawks QB Geno Smith is right in the middle, but still better than Russell Wilson. While some might hem and haw about where Smith is ranked, just think how much happier 12s should feel compared to last year at this time. We expected Seattle to be not-great and the Broncos to be better.

But an entire season has gone by since Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos and Geno Smith was the Seattle quarterback. And by nearly any measure, Smith was the better of the two quarterbacks in 2022. This could be due to many things, such as Seattle had better offensive coaching and Smith allowed himself to be coached more than Wilson appears to have done.

According to PFF, heading into 2023, Smith is the 15th-best quarterback in the NFL. The players above him include some who should be above him like Patrick Mahomes (1st) and Joe Burrow (3rd). But some of the other names? Not so much.

Seahawks QB Geno Smith ranked higher than Russell Wilson, per PFF

For instance, Matthew Stafford (12th) looks like he is 75 years old and certainly isn't the quarterback he used to be, Plus, he is always good for throwing the ill-timed interception. Would the Rams be better with Smith this coming season than Stafford? My answer would be yes.

Kirk Cousins is ranked 9th somehow. Cousins isn't terrible but he is certainly made better by the players around him. He's accurate, but he's also not good in big games. Put Smith on the Vikings and the Vikings would have a better record.

Tua Tagovailoa is 11th. That's a bit odd as he has trouble staying healthy and only has one season of being good in three years as a starter. The Dolphins have excellent weapons (as do the Seahawks), but Miami's offense is designed to get their receivers open deep and they have the speed to do so. But Smith in the Dolphins offense would do just as well, if not better because Smith will likely be consistently more healthy.

But a player who isn't ranked above Geno Smith is former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. In fact, Wilson has fallen all the way to 20th. PFF states anything is possible with Wilson, but because of his decline in athleticism, he is likely much more the quarterback that was seen in 2022 than in previous seasons when he was with Seattle. Too bad for the Broncos who gave Wilson a contract extension through with a potential out after 2025 that would still cost the Broncos $31,200,000 in dead cap should Wilson be released.