Geno Smith is back as the starting quarterback. The former Jets and Giants quarterback was named the Seahawks’ starting quarterback on Friday night, following the team’s preseason loss to the Cowboys.
“He’s earned it,” Carroll told reporters. “He won the job.”
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Smith is chosen over Drew Lock, who was part of the team’s package in exchange for sending Russell Wilson to the Broncos. Lock, a former second-round pick of the Denver Broncos, was widely expected to be the Seahawks’ next quarterback.
Instead, Smith will take over as Wilson’s replacement, offering less intrigue and potential than the younger Lock but possibly giving the team a better chance of winning. Smith, 31, enters his third season with the team, having completed 69 of 100 passes for 735 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception in five games. He started three of those contests and went 1-3.
Geno Smith. QB1. pic.twitter.com/CL3n6am9HK
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 27, 2022
During his three seasons in Denver, Lock threw 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions while maintaining a 59.3 percent completion percentage. In 21 career games as a starter, he has an 8-13 record.
‘The time-frames got messed up for us for Drew. Drew just ran out of time, in making his bid for it,” Carroll said.
Smith, a second-round pick by the Jets, struggled as a starter, going 12-18 with 28 touchdowns and 36 interceptions over four seasons.
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Notably, Smith broke Eli Manning’s historic consecutive games played streak as a backup quarterback with the Giants in 2017 when Ben McAdoo and team brass decided to give him a start midseason in search of a spark — a decision that infuriated fans and likely played a significant role in McAdoo’s firing and downfall.
Smith can now hope for a third time lucky as an NFL starting quarterback.
