Geno ‘Hails’ Smith returns to Seahawks to backup Russell Wilson; Pierre Desir signing back
The Seahawks are maintaining veteran continuity at quarterback.
The team announced Thursday it has re-signed Geno Smith to be Russell Wilson’s backup for the third consecutive season.
The former starting QB for the New York Jets and Giants has said he wants to be a starter again in the NFL. His play in preseason games over recent years has shown he may still be able to do that.
But not in Seattle. Not according to the Seahawks’ plans.
Wilson again was the only quarterback in the league to take every one of his team’s snaps in 2019. Last year, Wilson yielded to Smith at the end of just one game, the Seahawks’ 40-3 blowout of the Jets. In that game Smith threw his first five regular-season passes since 2018, his only year with the Los Angeles Chargers.
He last started a game Dec. 3, 2017, for the Giants in their loss against the Raiders.
Wilson hasn’t missed an in-season practice, let alone a game, in his nine-year career all as Seattle’s starter.
The signing back of Smith, 30, continues what coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have been doing the last four seasons: ensuring they have an experienced former NFL starter as the number-two behind Wilson.
The Seahawks signed Smith prior to the 2019 season. He beat out former Denver Broncos starter Paxton Lynch that preseason to become Wilson’s backup.
“He looks in control of the offense. He gets it,” Carroll said after the final preseason game of 2019.
“He really understands it, so that’s a real positive.”
But like former Green Bay Packers fill-in starter Brett Hundley in 2018, Smith did not play a snap behind Wilson in 2019.
Smith’s most noteworthy contribution in Seattle has been for winning overtime coin tosses—and just merely calling Seahawks coin tosses. That includes this Yanny-or-Laurel, heads-or-tails—“HAILS”—controversy from the start of overtime in Seattle’s win at San Francisco in November 2019.
Desir returns
The Seahawks are reuniting with another veteran, on the other side of the ball.
EnterSports Management announced its client cornerback Pierre Desir is returning to Seattle on a one-year contract.
The 30-year-old native of Haiti signed to the Seahawks’ practice squad in the middle of the 2016 season. At the end of training camp in 2017 the team tried to get him through league waivers and back onto its practice squad. Indianapolis claimed him. He did well enough for the Colts to earn a three-year, $25 million contract before the 2019 season. He fulfilled only one season of that deal with Indianapolis.
He played nine games last year for the Jets and three for Baltimore coming on and off the Ravens’ practice squad.
At 6 feet 1 with 33-inch arms, Desir is the tall, long cornerback Carroll loves for his pressing Seahawks coverage.
Seattle lost its two starting cornerbacks in free agency this offseason. Shaquill Griffin signed with Jacksonville. Quinton Dunbar signed with Detroit.
The Seahawks signed former 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon to a one-year, $4 million contract. They also have D.J. Reed, an emerging and impressive starter at the end of last season, plus 2018 and ‘19 starter Tre Flowers and former Packers starter Damarious Randall returning at that position.
This story was originally published April 22, 2021 at 1:57 PM.
