Geno Smith has been one of the biggest surprises of 2022, emerging as a potential Comeback Player of the Year while headlining the Seahawks' 6-3 start. One of the biggest reasons for the quarterback's instant success as Russell Wilson's successor, according to coach Pete Carroll, is Smith's communication with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Smith specifically utilizes a wristband to relay play calls to teammates, Carroll told 710 ESPN Seattle, a practice that drew "resistance" in the past.
"He's getting everything he can get out of Shane," Carroll said on his radio show. "That's a really important part of it. Shane helps him all the way through to the 15-second point (when communication from the sideline stops). ... They're just communicating to get it done and there's this conversation that goes on, so they work it out, and Geno (is) taking advantage of all of that.
"If you notice, Geno's going off the wristband," Carroll continued, "and that's a big help. It's smoothed things out, sped things up, cleaned things up. And that's part of it, too. We never did that before. There was resistance to that, so we didn't do that before."
Carroll did not elaborate to confirm where said resistance came from, but the obvious implication is that Wilson, unlike Smith, preferred control over offensive play calls as opposed to direction from the sideline.
"When Shane says something to Geno, he's not doubting it," Carroll said. "He's just going with it, so there's a real immediate flow and that accelerates all the process. ... He's functioning really comfortably regardless of what the circumstances are."
On Wednesday, as the Broncos prepare for their Week 10 game against the Titans, Wilson was asked about his former coach's comments.
"I don't know exactly what he said. Won a lot of games there without one on my wrist. I didn't know winning or losing mattered whether you wore a wristband or not," Wilson said, via Mike Klis of 9News in Denver.
Carroll and Wilson, of course, enjoyed a decade of shared success, including a Super Bowl title. But the latter's departure this offseason, which paved the way for Smith to take over, was reportedly fueled by growing tension between Wilson and Carroll, who's often relied on run-first offensive strategy.
