Geno Smith injury update: QB ‘optimistic’ this morning, Seahawks await more tests on knee
The Seahawks have reason to believe Geno Smith will be able to play this coming weekend.
Coach Mike Macdonald said on his weekly day-after-game radio show Monday morning Smith “seemed optimistic” in text messages with Macdonald the day after he left Seattle’s 30-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers midway through the third quarter with a knee injury.
X-rays with in-stadium equipment Sunday night showed no bone breaks or immediately apparent structural damage. Macdonald reiterated Monday morning that Smith is still to get imaging tests on internal ligaments, tendons and other parts of the knee before the Seahawks get a clearer picture of the 34-year-old quarterback’s injury.
Asked if there’s a possibility Smith will be able to play Sunday when the 8-6 Seahawks attempt to stay even with the Los Angeles Rams (8-6) for the NFC West title with three games remaining in the regular season, Macdonald said, “Yeah.”
Smith was injured when Green Bay linebacker Edgerrin Cooper twisted his lower left leg after the quarterback threw incomplete into the short left flat with just over 5 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Seattle trailed the Packers 20-3 at the time.
Without Geno Smith
Sam Howell replaced Smith and played the game’s final 20 minutes. The backup who was the Washington Commanders’ starter in the 2023 season had played one snap this regular season before Sunday night. That was Oct. 20 at Atlanta when Smith went out for one play.
Howell, 24, completed 5 of 14 passes with four sacks, a scramble and a bad interception thrown directly to Cooper into the teeth of Green Bay’s deep zone coverage. The 19 drop backs with only five completions was only the 20th time in 25 seasons that’s happened with a quarterback in the NFL.
“Yeah, I think at the end of the day I’ve got to be better. I think my job is to be ready to go in there and play well and help this team win, and I didn’t do that today,” Howell said, following his first extensive action in a regular-season game since Jan. 7, 2024, when he threw two interceptions and got sacked four times for Washington in a 38-10 loss to Dallas.
“I’ve just got to be better. Watch the film, learn from it. Definitely we had chances there in the second half. Defense played well, put us in good position. I’ve just got to be better.”
This story was originally published December 16, 2024 at 9:49 AM.
