‘I want to finish my career in Seattle,’ Seahawks QB Geno Smith

Last Updated on 01/16/2023 by てんしょく飯

The Seattle Seahawks season did not end the way quarterback (QB) Geno Smith envisioned, but he still has an optimistic view of his future with the team.

I want to finish my career in Seattle,” Smith told reporters after a 41-23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card game on Saturday, January 14.

I want to stay here. The town, the city, the team, Coach (Pete) Carroll, this organization have all embraced me. I could have been out of the league by now. They took me in. So I want to return the favor.”

Smith, who had a surprising breakout season at age 32, set a franchise record with 4,282 passing yards and was a strong presence in his first playoff start. Even though he had a painful fumble on a third quarter drive and an interception, he was clearly the leader of the offense, gaining 253 yards and scoring two touchdown passes.

Ultimately, the story ends here, but Saturday’s performance is a testament to his season, and head coach (HC) Carroll agrees with his desire to continue his success here.

‘He’s the real deal,’ HC Carroll said after the game. Geno is the real deal. He can do everything a good quarterback does. I think the biggest surprise was his movement. His movement was really efficient. He can always throw. And I was also impressed with his ability to stay calm and collected all year long. With all this frenzy and buildup, he could have missed five times, but he didn’t. He didn’t blink once. It was truly outstanding leadership. What he said in the locker room, what he said to the players. He said the right things all year long. All the way to today.

It’s a great story. It’s a great story for a lot of guys in other sports, wherever they are. You always keep working hard and keep believing in yourself. He doesn’t allow outside views to influence his true self and finds his own personal best. I think Geno has found his best. He is back here and ready to fight again. He just had an incredible season with us.”

When asked if Smith will be back next season, Carroll said, “I hope so.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Saturday morning that Smith, who will be a free agent, is expected to remain with the Seahawks in 2023, whether in the form of a franchise tag or a multi-year deal, and the HC and QB’s own postseason statements All of them corroborated this, he said.

A deal will be made soon on the details.

For starters, the Seahawks have two more picks before the second round in the 2023 draft by trading past QB Russell Wilson. That could be used to help further elevate their potential future QB.

“Somewhere inside of me is thinking, ‘What a long road it’s been.’ “Some part of me says, ‘What a long road it’s been,’ because I’ve overcome so many obstacles,” Smith said. “Of course, I’ve done that to the naysayers and others. I’ve beaten their expectations. But I don’t think we’ve exceeded our own expectations yet. We expected more from ourselves. So I think this team has a bright future ahead of it. A lot of young guys got a lot of experience. It was my first playoff game, my first playoff start. We still have a long way to go. I’m really excited about the future. I know we can get better and it will take a lot of commitment. This is a long-term game. I’m ready for it.”