Geno Smith revitalized his NFL career in a single season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, and they’ve rewarded him for it.
Smith and the Seahawks are reportedly finalizing a multi-year deal prior to the new league year beginning on March 15, according to NFL Network.
It’s expected to be a three-year pact worth $105 million, per multiple reports. That gives Smith an average annual value of $35 million per season.
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Smith, at 32 years old and entering his 10th NFL season, will remain the starter for head coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks’ offense.
Smith spoke in February about how his contract negotiations were going with the Seahawks.
"We’ve had talks, and we're in the process of getting all that settled right now," Smith told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "It’s looking very good. We think we can get some things done, but obviously those things take time. This is the process that I hate about the NFL because I just want to play football. But it's a business as well, so we've got to take care of business, and then we'll get back to the football."
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When Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos last offseason, there were rumblings in Seattle about what comes next. Is a rebuild on the way? Or could they nab a veteran on the open market?
Instead, Carroll trusted Smith despite him failing as a full-time starter with the New York Jets in 2014, posting a 3-10 record after going 8-8 in his rookie season. While mixed reviews flew in from everywhere, Smith was focused on proving naysayers wrong, and he did that.
Smith won the AP Comeback Player of the Year after breaking numerous career highs, including yards (4,285), touchdown passes (30) and completion percentage (69.8%), which led the league.
His performance led to a 9-8 record that brought Seattle to the playoffs, something that wasn’t even thought of entering the 2022 season. While the Seahawks were dominated by the San Francisco 49ers, Smith’s efforts were a key factor in getting them there in the first place, which is why Seattle is confident he can continue to do that as they develop the talent around him.
Before this career-changing season, Smith had only five starts under his belt since 2016, including three with the Seahawks in 2021 when he went 1-2 filling in for an injured Wilson.
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After setting the tone this past year, the Seahawks will be raising their expectations to try to compete in the NFC West yet again.
But they are more than pleased that their quarterback situation isn’t in crisis after the Wilson trade. Instead, they trusted an unlikely replacement in most views, and it paid off.
Now, Smith gets his big pay day.
