Pete Carroll: Geno Smith is Seahawks’ QB. But he, Drew Lock know competition’s ‘always on’
Now that it’s the regular season, nothing looked different.
Geno Smith and Drew Lock looked like they’ve appeared on the field all offseason and preseason practices. They drilled together to Seahawks receivers. Smith took the snaps with the first offense, Lock with the reserves.
After practice Tuesday, both quarterbacks were among the last few players on the field. They did extra work with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and receivers Tyler Lockett, Dee Eskridge and Noah Fant.
It was four days after coach Pete Carroll named the 31-year-old Smith the winner over Lock, 25, in the months-long competition to succeed traded Russell Wilson as Seattle’s starter.
Yet the “Always Compete” coach says the competition remains on.
“Yeah, I think that they understand that, that it’s always on,” Carroll said.
He described Lock as “disappointed” in the decision. That’s the same word Lock used Friday night in Texas moments after Carroll told the quarterbacks and the team of his decision following the preseason finale at Dallas.
Smith started for the third consecutive preseason game. He completed 3 of 6 passes with two dropped and his lone series produced a field goal. Lock had 10 drives that produced 23 points into the fourth quarter replacing Smith. But Lock threw three interceptions, giving him four turnovers in two preseason games.
That’s why Smith, not Lock, is starting Sept. 12 when the Seahawks host Wilson’s Denver Broncos in the season opener at Lumen Field.
“He’s disappointed. He’s disappointed, you know,” Carroll said. “But I know he knows how we think of him, and how we trust he’s got a big future and all that. He knows by the way we’ve dealt with him from the start and coached him throughout, and really taken him all the way through to this point.
“He’s got a big-time future. He sees that, and he’s optimistic about it — as we are.”
Lock spoke with a flushed face in Arlington, Texas, last Friday night following Carroll’s decision. It came a week after he tested positive for COVID-19. That put the former Broncos starter out of Seattle’s plans for him to start the second preseason game, against Chicago.
“As a competitor, you’re always disappointed. And I was disappointed. You want to be out there. You want to be playing with those guys,” said Lock, who was 8-13 starting parts of three seasons in Denver. “You want to be able to step on the field and show you can do it.
“Yeah, you’re disappointed.
“But now it’s my job to have his back and be the best teammate I can be. I need to come out everyday and find ways to make this team better and make myself better. I have to strive to get better every single day.
“I know I won’t be taking the reps, but there’s a lot of ways you can get better. I learned a lot about what to do last year in this situation and how to be ready for any chance that I get.”
Carroll indicated Friday night in Texas after naming Smith the starter that he wasn’t casting Lock away as useless to the Seahawks. Both Smith and Lock are entering the final seasons of their contracts.
“I don’t have any question that he can play,” the coach said. “He’s got all the athleticism. He’s got arm strength. He’s got talent. He’s got creativity, all of that. I think he’s going to be a fantastic football player. Soon.
“So it’s just a matter of he just didn’t quite have enough time to beat out a guy who knew exactly what he was doing and who just stayed at it and really just won the job because of his consistency and, really, his performance.”
