Seahawks named as potential landing spot for top quarterback in 2025 free agency

The Seattle Seahawks do not appear to have a need at quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft as the team has two QBs with starting experience on the roster and both are signed through 2025. Geno Smith is the presumptive starter in 2024 but the team could release him and save $25 million next offseason, should Seattle choose to do so. Howell will only cost about $1 million so there is no need to release him really.

That all could imply that Seattle should take a quarterback in the 2025 draft, make Howell the starter for one season, and let the rookie take over in 2026. Or Smith could be great in 2024 and cement his status as QB1 for the next few years. Seattle might not need a quarterback for several seasons.

If Seattle is thinking of potentially releasing Smith and signing a quarterback in free agency next year that would also be an option. Admittedly, that is an odd option, though, because Seattle is likely to be looking to shed salary in 2025 and not add to it. Just as with 2024, Seattle could make several roster cuts ahead of free agency in 2025 and then sign inexpensive players who fit roster needs instead of making a big splash by signing a high dollar player.

Why would Dak Prescott make sense for the Seahawks in 2025?

According to Over the Cap, Seattle currently has just $1,962,332 to spend in 2025 free agency, 27th in the NFL. Releasing Smith moves that number to nearly $27 million but that is still not that much compared to what other teams will have. But according to CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin, Seahawks fans can forget all of that.

Benjamin believes that one of the five potential landing spots for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott next year could be Seattle. There is a chance, says Benjamin, that Seattle could be "exploring the quarterback market again next offseason." Neither Howell nor Smith might be the long-term option for Seattle, he implies.

There are a few issues with this theory, however. The most obvious one is that general manager John Schneider simply does not spend much money on any one player in free agency. The highest he has paid a player was Dre'Mont Jones in 2023 and that still was to a contract that did not average $20 million a season. Prescott would command much more than that.

Another problem is that while Prescott is a few years younger than Smith, Prescott would still be 32 years old during his first season with the Seahawks. Even though Prescott has had a much better offensive line during his time with Dallas than Smith has had in Seattle, the two quarterbacks have comparable numbers (in relation to Smith's time specifically with Seattle) in terms of quarterback rating (Prescott's career number is 99.0 and Smith's Seattle number is 97.3), touchdown percentage (5.2 to 4.7 percent, respectively), and completion percentage (67.0 to 67.5, respectively).

The third issue is that Seattle simply will not have the money to offer Prescott even if Schneider wanted to sign him. Seattle will probably have just enough room to do what they did this offseason: Fill the roster with players who play positions of need but not at a high cost. Besides, why sign Prescott when he is not a clear upgrade over Smith and the Cowboys quarterback has a 2-5 postseason record?

Read more from 12th Man Rising