Geno Smith seeking 2025 Seahawks commitment
Efforts from Geno Smith‘s camp to secure an extension this year did not produce a deal. After all, the Seahawks have their starting quarterback on a team-friendly deal that runs through the 2025 season. As Smith moves closer to a contract year, the need for a resolution will arise.
The Seahawks have Smith tied to a three-year, $75M deal. As the market has soared well beyond the $50M-per-year level — to the point Dak Prescott is now at $60M AAV — Smith’s contract is in no-man’s land. He is the only passer sandwiched between Gardner Minshew‘s would-be bridge-starter deal (two years, $25M) and Baker Mayfield‘s three-year, $100M pact. Previous reports have pegged the Seahawks as hesitant on their current passer, which is not good news for the Russell Wilson successor due to his age.
Set to play an age-35 season next year, Smith is moving toward QB limbo. He will again pursue a commitment from the Seahawks in 2025, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who adds the team is expected to do work on a potential successor.
Although Seattle was connected to Patrick Mahomes in 2017 — though, the future Kansas City icon did not fall especially close to where the Seahawks were drafting that year — and then “poked around” on Josh Allen in 2018, the team stayed with Wilson and then took a low-cost route to replacing him via Smith, who had been the potential Hall of Famer’s backup from 2019-21.
Needing to beat out Drew Lock to replace Wilson in 2022, Smith was tied to a one-year, $3.5M deal that year. He delivered a stunning Comeback Player of the Year effort and received a substantial raise, though the contract did not closely rival where the Giants went for Daniel Jones or what the Saints did to sign Derek Carr that offseason. The market has passed Smith by, and it will be interesting to see how his camp proceeds.
QBR places Smith a few decimal points above Wilson this season, slotting the ex-teammates at Nos. 21 and 22. The former Jets washout has not been able to sustain his 2022 form, but he has been far from the central concern in Seattle, regularly showing plus form. If the Seahawks entertained trading Smith, a starter market would likely form. He is on pace to eclipse his career-high yardage mark set in 2022, having passed for 4,097 in 16 games this season. Smith’s 70.2% completion rate also outflanks his then-NFL-best 69.8 mark from 2022. Though, untimely interceptions have also been a key component for the 12th-year veteran this season; his TD-INT ratio sits at 17-15.
With nine wins thus far, the Seahawks will not be close to the top of the 2025 draft order. A route to adding one of next year’s top prospects does not seem to exist. The team showed interest in Anthony Richardson in 2023, when it held the No. 5 overall pick, and hosted Bo Nix on a visit this year. But Smith has remained the unchallenged starter. While the Seahawks may not be thrilled with their QB’s play, finding a surefire upgrade in 2025 will not be easy.
