BREAKING: Seattle Seahawks lock Geno Smith for three years as NFL Free Agency intensifies
Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks finalized a three-year contract extension worth $105 million on Monday, according to multiple sources.
The Comeback Player of the Year had a breakout season with the Seahawks after taking over the starting quarterback job following Russell Wilson's trade to the Denver Broncos. He became one of the best feel-good stories of the season, leading Seattle to a surprising playoff berth and winning the Comeback Player of the Year.
Seahawks and Pro-Bowl QB Geno Smith reached agreement on a three-year, $105 million contract, including $52 million in the first year, as @Schultz_Report reported.
Geno was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent four years with the franchise but failed to establish himself, also having stints with the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Chargers, both as a backup.
After signing with the Seahawks in 2019, he was Russell Wilson's backup until the 2021 season and took over the job in March 2022. His excellent performances proved that, while Wilson was a superstar, Seattle was right to hand the franchise keys over to him.
The #Seahawks and Pro Bowl QB Geno Smith are finalizing a new multi-year contract, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
Smith, 32, would’ve become a free agent. Instead, he’ll stay in Seattle, where he won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year last season. https://t.co/3fFmVzdl8E
The $35 million average per year is tied with Kirk Cousins for the 10th-highest average salary for a quarterback in the NFL.
Seahawks might draft another QB despite Geno Smith's extension
The extension does not rule out the fact that Seattle needs to explore their long-term options for the position and use the Denver Broncos' fifth overall pick to go after a quarterback in the 2023 draft, with Florida Gators superstar Anthony Richardson penciled in as a possible option.
The $105 million extension includes $52 million for Geno in his first year, meaning that the team should have an easy avenue to get rid of Smith in case they're not satisfied with his play when the 2025 season comes. They'll be with a quarterback developing on the wings until that day comes.
When the fifth pick comes, chances are both Bryce Young (Alabama) and C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) will be off the board, meaning that Anthony Richardson will be the favorite quarterback available - don't write Will Levis off. Keeping Richardson as an insurance option as Smith plays out his contract would be the perfect scenario for the Seahawks.