Quarterback Geno Smith was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft in 2013 by the New York Jets. The AFC East team had high hopes for the former West Virginia player, but it didn’t work out the way they expected.
Smith made a respectable start to his NFL career. He led the Jets to an 8-8 season in his rookie campaign. In his second season, he went 3-10 through the 13 games he started, which ultimately cost him the starting position.
After leaving the Jets in 2017, Smith had brief spells with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers where he was the backup QB at both franchises. He signed for the Seattle Seahawks in 2019, but he has had to remain patient for his opportunity.
Russell Wilson’s trade to the Denver Broncos earlier this year meant Smith was promoted to a starting role. Following an excellent start to the season with their new QB, Seattle is now +260 in the latest NFL odds to win the NFC West title for the first time since 2020.
He still hasn’t written back. @GenoSmith3 is your NFC Offensive Player of the Month! pic.twitter.com/dAVLv6qhPU
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 3, 2022
Smith has shown that he can be relied upon to fill the big shoes left by Wilson. Many people were expecting the Seahawks to trade for a replacement, but head coach Pete Carroll instead named Smith as his starting QB, and that is being rewarded on the field, as he has shone with his arm and legs.
Smith Leading the League in Passing Completions
After 10 games, Smith led the league in passing completions among the 32 starting quarterbacks. He had a 72.8% completion percentage, with 17 passing touchdowns going his way and 2,474 passing yards.
With a win over the Seahawks in Germany, Tom Brady moves to 4-0 in international games‼️👏@TomBrady || @Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/edEbUDbBcv
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 13, 2022
Smith is making up for his lost time in the NFL. He will look at what Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are achieving in the twilight stages of their careers, and he will be confident that he can remain as a starter for many more years to come if he stays fit.
Seattle has gone through a lot of changes on offense and defense over the last few years. However, they have a roster that remains capable of challenging, not just in their division and conference, but also for the Super Bowl.
Smith has formed an excellent relationship with the wide receivers on the roster. He is also being helped by a strong rushing game behind him. Seattle has shown they are a dual threat, and they are also able to score a lot of points, as they showed in their 37-23 win against the Chargers.
If Seattle does fall short of the playoffs this season, they will be confident that with a couple of additions in the offseason they can prove to be serious Super Bowl contenders next year.
Running backs Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Christian McCaffrey have all bounced back from injuries this season and are also in contention for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. However, given how long it has been since he was a starting QB, Smith surely leads the race for the award at the NFL Honors in February.
