Seahawks backup QB since 2020 touts leadership as Seattle prepares for new NFL season

After 10 seasons of leadership from quarterback Russell Wilson, the reins move to a not-so-new face.

Following Wilson’s departure from Seattle, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is in a position to be the starting quarterback for an NFL franchise again.

Whether it’s throwing an accurate pass or setting up the offense to score, there are many skills a quarterback needs in order to help a team be successful. On the other hand, a non-physical skill that comes with the position is leadership, leadership that will affect other players on and off the field.

““I think you don’t really have to compete with somebody else. The competition is with yourself. How much better can you get every single day? I think leadership is just being yourself. Some guys are rah, rah leaders; like to talk, like to yell. Some guys are not. We all have to be leaders. It’s not going to be one leader. It’s a team of leaders. We all have to be held accountable, hold each other accountable. My job is to continue to hold everybody accountable. I lead through my hard work; my discipline and I think guys feed off of that.”

Leadership is a skill not new to Smith, as he has had experience starting at quarterback for the New York Jets in the 2013 and 2014 NFL season.

Smith, who has played for four NFL teams in his 10 years in the league, signed with the Seahawks in 2020 and was a backup for Wilson.

Even though he has been out of a long-term starting position since wearing a Jets uniform, Smith said he is confident in his ability to lead.

““I think it’s continuing to evolve as people we always learn, grow, and evolve. Leadership is something that I feel like either you have, or you don’t. You don’t have to force it so if guys follow you, they do if they don’t, they don’t, and I feel like guys have tended to follow me over the course of my career,” Smith said Monday at Seahawks training camp.

This story was originally published August 1, 2022 at 5:39 PM.