Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith said last month that things were "looking very good" when it came to a potential contract extension. One day before the franchise tag deadline, the Seahawks have locked down their starting quarterback.
Seattle and Smith agreed to terms on a contract, the team announced Monday night. Initially reported at $105 million over three years with $52 million guaranteed in 2023, more details of Smith's contract emerged Tuesday morning. Smith's new deal has a base value of $25 million per season, with $40 million fully guaranteed at signing, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media. He will reportedly earn $28 million in the first year, and has $30 million in incentives.
Smith completed 69.8% of his passes for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2022. His 69.8 completion percentage ranked first in the league. The former backup went 9-8 as the starter, took the Seahawks to the playoffs, earned his first career Pro Bowl bid and won NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He did more than enough to prove that he's a legitimate starter.
Despite the Smith extension, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has said that they are "totally connected" to the quarterbacks in this draft class. Seattle holds the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
"This is a really huge opportunity for us. It's a rare opportunity," Carroll said at the NFL Combine. "We've been drafting in the low 20's for such a long time. You just don't get the chance with these guys. So we're deeply involved with all that."
Smith was a second-round pick of the New York Jets in 2013 out of West Virginia. He went 8-8 in his rookie season, and then 3-10 in 2014. Smith has also spent time with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers, but found his way to Seattle in 2019. He made just three starts in his first three seasons with the Seahawks, but won the starting job following the Russell Wilson trade, and never looked back.