Mina Kimes justifies Seahawks' $12,700,000 Geno Smith decision
Geno Smith has locked down an additional $12.7 million in his Cinderella-esque run with the Seattle Seahawks. With Pete Carroll out the door, many braced for the former long-term backup quarterback to be ousted. Instead, it appears he will get at least one more season.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), NFL analyst Mina Kimes gave one statistical reason why the Seahawks likely bought in for one more Smith run. Here's how she put it:
"Over the last 2 years, the Niners defense has pressured Geno on 37% of his dropbacks (despite the fact that his time to throw has been below average in those games). I repeat: Not the problem!"
Looking back at Geno Smith's key stats through 2023
The Seahawks quarterback's performance in 2022 shocked the NFL. However, 2023 saw a step back for Geno Smith in the health and production departments.
In 2022, he threw for 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. In 2023, he threw for 20 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and 3624 yards. Some will argue that injuries explain the regression in terms of total production.
However, his accuracy saw a substantial dip in productivity as well. In 2022, Smith completed 69.8% of his throws. In 2023, the QB completed just 64.7% of his throws.
Seahawks' draft picks for 2024
The Seahawks are in the midst of a transition at head coach. Will they decide to double up on transitions this year with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback? According to Sportskeeda's Mock Draft Simulator, the Seahawks will not be diving into the quarterback carousel, at least in the first round.
The Seattle Seahawks are projected to select Quinyon Mitchell, a cornerback out of Toledo. It would be an on-brand pick for the Seahawks, who have built a franchise that prioritizes defense.
They went with a defensive-minded head coach in Mike Macdonald and now are projected to be going with a defensive first-round pick.
Of course, the 2024 NFL draft doesn't end after the first round. The team will have two third-round picks to spend in 2024. Using those picks correctly will be paramount, as the team doesn't have a second-round pick this year. With one of the picks, drafting a quarterback seems like a must.
Geno Smith could tread water, but with it now clear that Pete Carroll helped foster Russell Wilson's success and considering Smith's record outside of Carroll, it is clear that the head coach was highly likely to be the reason for the success of both players.
As such, with the head coach now transitioned out of the role, the team should brace for a transition, even with a project mid-draft prospect.