3 Seattle Seahawks who aren't safe with Mike Macdonald as head coach

Quarterback Geno Smith cannot be marked as safe

Some 12s think Geno Smith should no longer be the starting quarterback for the Seahawks moving forward. I am not one of those who think that. Smith might not be a top-five quarterback, but he also is not a bottom-16 quarterback. He is good enough to lead his team to the playoffs (he did so in 2022) and he is good enough to lead the NFL in completion percentage (2022), the NFC in touchdown passes (2022), and the league in game-winning drives (2023).

But Smith will also turn 34 years old early in the 2024 season and he might not be the long-term option for Seattle. Macdonald might want to get younger at the position as the coach has a six-year deal and will want to re-make the team in his image. This could mean Seattle drafts a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, such as Michigan's J.J. McCarthy who Macdonald worked with when Macdonald was Michigan's defensive coordinator in 2021.

Maybe Macdonald would rather Seattle bring back free agent Drew Lock to lead the team. Lock looked decent in two starts this past season and he is still only 27 years old. There is no guarantee that Lock is as good as Smith, of course, but age could be a factor.

Smith had his base salary of $12.7 million guaranteed for 2024, but he isn't so expensive that Seattle couldn't trade him. Smith's yearly cash is $22.5 million next season which is nearly nothing for a veteran starting quarterback in the NFL. Seattle could still take a quarterback in the first round if Smith's base salary is guaranteed and the rookie could still take Smith's starting spot.