At NFL meetings, Seahawks’ new coach has an answer to those wanting a QB competition
Anyone wanting a Seahawks quarterback competition now that the team has traded for a new one won’t like what the team’s coach is saying.
Mike Macdonald arrived this past weekend in Orlando, Florida, for the NFL’s spring league meetings. Seattle’s successor to Pete Carroll and the NFL’s youngest coach then re-stated his faith in Geno Smith that Macdonald first stated when the Seahawks hired him as their new coach two months ago.
Macdonald was asked in Orlando by Tom Pelissero from the league’s television network: Do you expect a competition in 2024 for Smith’s starting-quarterback job he’s had in Seattle the last two seasons?
“l don’t,” Macdonald said.
The question is coming up because two weeks ago the Seahawks acquired former Washington starter Sam Howell. That was in a trade of fourth- and sixth-round draft choices to the Commanders
“I’ve talked to Geno about it. Very confident in Geno. Geno’s going to be our starter,” Macdonald said.
“Sam knows he’s going to be our backup.”
So what was true before the Seahawks traded for Howell remains so now: Seattle has its quarterback of the present.
Geno Smith, Sam Howell contracts
Smith has been selected for the Pro Bowl in each of his two seasons, replacing traded Russell Wilson. Smith, who will turn 34 during the 2024 season, has this year and next remaining on the $75 million contract he signed before the 2023 season..
But now, do the Seahawks have their quarterback of the future?
Howell threw an NFL-most 612 passes in 2023, with 21 touchdowns. He also had a league-high 21 interceptions last season, going 4-13 for the Commanders. He doesn’t turn 24 until September.
The Seahawks traded for Howell after Drew Lock, Smith’s backup the last two years, signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the New York Giants in free agency — Seattle general manager John Schneider has since said the Giants offered Lock the chance to compete for a starting job.
That’s something Seattle wasn’t giving Lock with Smith.
And it’s something Schneider, and now Macdonald, say they aren’t giving Howell against Smith, either.
Howell’s rookie contract Seattle inherited from Washington ends when Smith’s deal ends, with the 2025 season.
Macdonald this past weekend at the league meetings implied the Seahawks are interested in Howell beyond 2025.
“Sam is a great young player,” the new coach said, according to Pelissero, “and he’s got a really bright future that we believe in.”
When Macdonald was asked at his introductory press conference Feb. 1 what he thinks of Smith as the Seahawks’ quarterback, the new coach said: “Pretty sure he’s at the Pro Bowl right now.”
The team then guaranteed to Smith his $12.7 million base salary for 2024, per terms of his contract he signed in March 2023. Last month, the Seahawks converted half of Smith’s $9.6 million roster bonus into a signing bonus. That was to create $4.8 million in space under the league’s salary cap for the start of free agency this month. The move lowered Smith’s cap charge to a still team-leading $26.4 million for this year. It added $4.8 million to Smith’s cap charge for 2025, which is scheduled to be a prohibitive $38.5 million.
After seven years on one-year contracts as a backup for four teams, including to Wilson in Seattle for three years until he got his shot in 2023, Smith has revived his career. In 2022 he broke three of Wilson’s team records for passing in a season while throwing for 4,282 yards with 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while leading the league with a 69.8% completion rate. He made his first Pro Bowl and first career postseason start.
Last season Smith completed 64.7% of his throws for 3,624 yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Seattle missed the playoffs for just the third time in 12 years.
This past weekend in Florida at the league meetings, Macdonald, who is three years older than his quarterback, again said Smith’s journey from NFL journeyman to Pro Bowl QB impresses him.
“That resonates with a lot of our stories, having gone through a lot of trials and tribulations and finding his stride here in the last few years,” the former Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator told NFL Network’s Pelissero. “And then going against him, obviously his track record the last couple years and the stats he’s been able to put up, his poise, his leadership, obviously his capability throwing the football ...
“And our relationship is just getting started to grow.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
