Where signs are pointing on still-hurting Geno Smith starting for Seahawks vs. 49ers
Geno Smith was in his usual place, first in the line of three quarterbacks in drills.
It looked at the start of practice Tuesday like Smith was in his normal status as the Seahawks’ starter for their Thanksgiving showdown Thursday with the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers.
But it didn’t sound like it.
Asked before practice how his bruised triceps on his right, throwing arm felt, Smith said: “Had better days.”
“But getting there,” he said.
At the start of practice open to reporters, Smith noticeably used his left arm and hand to slap the hands of No. 2 quarterback Drew Lock and No. 3 QB Brett Rypien as they went through the warm-up line.
The team listed Smith as a limited participant in what they characterized as a walk-through practice Wednesday.
“He looked good. He’s working his way back in,” offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said following the practice. “He’s limited, and we’ll see where he is come game time.”
Two days earlier, Aaron Donald smashed into the 33-year-old Smith, driving him to the turf after Smith threw a pass late in the third quarter of the Seahawks’ loss at the Los Angeles Rams.
Normally, Tuesday would have been Smith’s second consecutive day off the practice field, and his and his teammates’ one day off from football during game week.
But the NFL has set the Seahawks and 49ers to play a holiday special, a nationally televised night game four days after Seattle (6-4) and San Francisco (7-3) last played. So Smith was on the field — doing more than it sounded like he would.
Monday, coach Pete Carroll had said Smith was likely to do nothing Monday and Tuesday and perhaps practice Wednesday, and that the team expected him to start the game Thursday.
“If we can maintain keeping the swelling down, so he has the freedom to throw ...,” Carroll said Monday.
“We’ve got a couple days here. We really think he’s got a great chance to make it back.”
The coach didn’t speak to reporters Tuesday. He is scheduled to again Wednesday.
The Seahawks listed Smith as not participating in practice Monday in their walk-through workout. The team noted that participation was an estimation based on if it had practiced fully.
Tuesday’s practice participation report was due later in the afternoon, following the drills in shorts and no helmets.
Smith said his arm felt better Tuesday than it did when he re-entered the Rams game with 52 seconds left after missing two full drives plus the final two plays of the one on which Donald crunched him. Smith said he was in pain when he completed three of four passes to get the Seahawks from their own 25-yard line into position for a 55-yard field goal. Jason Myers missed it with 3 seconds left, and Seattle lost for the second time this season and the 10th time in 15 tries against L.A., by a score of 17-16.
“I feel a little bit better,” Smith said. “I definitely feel a little bit better after a couple days.”
Asked what the odds are he will play against the Niners, Smith was similarly brief: “We’ll see how it goes. It’s up to coach. ...
“I just do what I’m told.”
Doctors and trainers worked on Smith during the Seahawks’ flight home from southern California on Sunday evening into Monday. Smith said he’s been getting treatment “around the clock, all day and night, just working on it, trying to get it to feel as good as it can.”
Asked again if he personally feels he can play Thursday, Smith said again: “I’ll leave that up to coach.”
The man who would start if Smith cannot didn’t have a ton of enlightenment on the subject, either.
Lock completed 2 of 6 passes for 3 yards with an underthrown interception toward Tyler Lockett in L.A. after Smith got hurt and before he re-entered.
Lock said before practice Tuesday he didn’t know whether he was starting in practices or playing Thursday. It would be his first start in the two seasons he’s been with Seattle after its trade of Russell Wilson to Denver in March 2022.
“As of now, it’s pretty similar (to a normal game week),” Lock said.
That is, no reps with the starters as the backup QB?
“All we did was walk-through (Monday) ... I have not been told how it’s going to go yet,” Lock said.
Is he expecting to play against the 49ers?
“No more than I did any other week going forward,” Lock said.
Take that as a no.
This story was originally published November 21, 2023 at 3:02 PM.
