The Seattle Seahawks had a surprisingly successful season in 2022, and it was mostly due to the outstanding play of quarterback Geno Smith.
After being considered a career backup for years, he got the starting job over Drew Lock when the season started, then proceeded to put up the kind of numbers he could’ve only dreamed of in the past.
Seattle went 9-8 and made the playoffs, and Smith helped Seahawks fans forget about Russell Wilson, who had been traded to the Denver Broncos the previous offseason.
The veteran was set to become a free agent, but he will be staying in the Pacific Northwest for some time, as he and the Seahawks are finalizing a multi-year contract, according to Tom Pelissero.
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. pic.twitter.com/3fFmVzdl8E
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 6, 2023
Many felt Seattle would be forced to rebuild after letting go of Wilson, but members of the organization refused to use the word rebuild.
They turned out to be right.
In fact, the team outperformed the Broncos, who put forth an abysmal offense and won just five games as Wilson looked like a shell of his old self.
Smith led the NFL in completion rate at 69.8 percent while throwing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns, as the Seahawks got off to a 6-3 start and never really looked back.
Moving forward, they have two stud wide receivers in Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, as well as an excellent young running back in Kenneth Walker III, who ran for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022 and finished second in the Offensive Rookie of the Year balloting .
It isn’t exactly a stretch to imagine Seattle making the playoffs again next season.
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The Seahawks Reportedly Have A Plan In Place For Geno Smith