Before you write off Smith (again), keep in mind that he did much better than expected in 2022, has a deep receiving corps and landed a brand-new offensive playcaller. Smith fell from 21.4 to 17.8 Fantasy points per game (six points for passing TDs) in 2023 despite adding touted rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba into the offense. His completion rate dropped but his off-target throw rate was still fine. He had a solid yards-per-attempt average year-over-year and a slightly better interception rate. But the lack of completions and a dip in touchdown rate (5.2% to 4.0%) made him a Fantasy bust. The Seahawks new offense will be led by Ryan Grubb, who pioneered the Washington Huskies offense for the past two seasons and does have an aggressive tendency to dial up pass plays downfield. It will also help that Seattle's offensive line should be healthier and thus better than it was for the majority of last year. Smith actually has bounce-back potential, but he also has a legit threat to his gig in Sam Howell if he starts slow in 2024. You won't need to spend serious draft capital on Smith -- he might not even get picked in typical one-QB formats -- but he does have mild appeal as a QB2 in Superflex/two-QB leagues in the same tier as Baker Mayfield and Derek Carr.
I'm excited to see Smith in Ryan Grubb's offense, and Smith should do well in Week 1 against the Broncos. Last year, Denver was No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and Smith ended 2023 with at least 21.3 Fantasy points in three of his final four games. The Seahawks are expected to run more plays under Grubb and open up the passing game, and Smith should benefit, starting this week at home.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Adds/Streamers (QB Preview)
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Smith is at home, with a good matchup, in his first game with Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator. We expect Grubb's offense to be a downfield passing attack, and Smith has been very accurate downfield the past two seasons. The Seahawks' 24-point implied total is a plus, and so is the fact that all three of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba appear to be healthy.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
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The addition of Ryan Grubb as the offensive coordinator in Seattle should help the entire Seahawks offense. They should run more plays and be more explosive. As long as Smith doesn't make mistakes he could return to his 2022 level of play when he averaged 20.5 Fantasy points per game.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Sharp on one drive Saturday
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Smith completed four of five passes for 62 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the Seahawks' 37-33 preseason win over the Browns on Saturday night.
The veteran signal-caller drew the start, and after throwing incomplete to DK Metcalf on his first pass attempt, he proceeded to briskly march the Seahawks downfield on a 62-yard touchdown drive. Along the way, Smith recorded completions of 25 and seven yards to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, as well as a 21-yard scoring toss to Metcalf, getting some very encouraging tune-up work completed before a Week 1 home showdown against the Broncos on Sept. 8. Smith will be operating in a new offense this season, but his core of skill players has full continuity, upping his chances of success.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: On track to play Saturday
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Coach Mike Macdonald relayed Thursday that most of Seattle's starters, including Smith, are in line to play in the team's preseason finale against the Browns on Saturday, Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle and Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune report.
Smith didn't see action in either of the Seahawks' first two exhibition contests, but he's slated to get some work in this weekend, along with the team's other healthy starters on offense. Once Smith gives way to his backups Saturday, his focus will turn to a Week 1 matchup against the Broncos.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Not expected to suit up vs. Titans
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Coach Mike Macdonald said Monday that Seattle's starters, Smith included, aren't expected to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Titans, Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle reports.
Macdonald looks set to hold the Seahawks' starting units out of a second straight exhibition matchup, as Smith also didn't suit up this past Saturday against the Chargers. Instead, Macdonald stressed that the starters will get plenty of reps during joint practices with Tennessee, which will be fully padded. Smith dealt with hip and knee injuries earlier in training camp but has been a full participant at practice as of late.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Back at practice Monday
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Smith (knee/hip) is participating in practice Monday, Gregg Bell of The News Tribune reports.
Smith is throwing at practice in full pads, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. That constitutes the veteran signal-caller's first on-field activity since suffering knee and hip injuries last week, but medical examinations done last Thursday and Saturday didn't reveal a serious issue. The Seahawks' preseason opener is coming up on the road versus the Chargers on Saturday, but it remains to be seen whether Smith or backup Sam Howell will be considered to suit up.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Shouldn't miss time
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Smith isn't expected to miss time, as testing Thursday revealed no significant problems with his knee and hip, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
There was perhaps a brief moment of panic Thursday evening when Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald told reporters that Smith would undergo testing for multiple issues. It now sounds like the QB may just be dealing with soreness in his knee and hip, rather than anything that would threaten his Week 1 availability. The Seahawks may nonetheless hold Smith out of practice temporarily, which would give Sam Howell a chance to work with the starting offense.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Won't face competition from Howell
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Seahawks GM John Schneider said Thursday that Smith is "the guy" and fellow QB Sam Howell was brought in to be a backup, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.
That's not exactly surprising given the gaps in both 2023 performance and 2024 compensation between the two quarterbacks, but it'll nonetheless be comforting to anyone counting on Smith to start this upcoming season. It'll be especially good news for Smith if this is Seattle's only big QB move during the offseason, as the team has been mentioned in connection with Justin Fields and various draft prospects. Drafting a QB is definitely still possible, but the trade for Howell is a pretty clear signal that Seattle isn't in on Fields. The team has mostly focused on smaller moves so far this offseason, including re-signing TE Noah Fant and restructuring WR Tyler Lockett's contract. The interior offensive line is a glaring weakness as the roster is currently constructed, but there are still plenty of options to upgrade via both free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Restructures contract
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Smith and the Seahawks agreed Thursday to a restructured contract, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
It's a simple restructure, converting Smith's $9.6 million roster bonus into a signing bonus to create $4.8 million in 2024 cap space (while adding $4.8 million to the 2025 sheet). The Seahawks already signaled intent to bring Smith back as their starting QB in 2024 when they kept him on the roster through mid-February once his $12.7 million base salary became guaranteed. His contract runs through 2025 but doesn't have any guarantees in the final year, potentially setting up the Seahawks for a tough decision next March when Smith is scheduled for a $10 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2025 league year. The upcoming NFL Draft could provide a hint about how the Seahawks feel about Smith long term.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Won't be released to avoid payment
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The Seahawks informed Smith on Thursday that he'll remain on the roster through this week rather than be released to avoid a $12.7 million contract guarantee that kicks in Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Smith has two years remaining on the three-year, $75 million contract he signed last offseason, but the deal only had injury guarantees after the first year. His $12.7 million base salary for 2024 is one of those, converting to a full guarantee Feb. 16 (this Friday). Smith then has a $9.6 million roster bonus due March 17, and the Seahawks presumably wouldn't keep him around for now if they didn't also plan to pay that out and have the 33-year-old QB under contract for 2024.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Sleeper QBs
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Smith only scored 17.8 Fantasy points against Arizona in Week 7, but I expect him to do better in the rematch. He's scored at least 21.3 Fantasy points in two of his past three games, with both of them on the road, and the Seahawks need to win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Cardinals have also allowed three quarterbacks in a row to score at least 25.2 Fantasy points, and Smith should have the chance for a standout season finale on the road.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Smith only scored 17.8 Fantasy points against Arizona in Week 7, but I expect him to do better in the rematch. He's scored at least 21.3 Fantasy points in two of his past three games, with both of them on the road, and the Seahawks need to win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Cardinals have also allowed three quarterbacks in a row to score at least 25.2 Fantasy points, and Smith should have the chance for a standout season finale on the road.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Efficient performance in loss
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Smith completed 23 of 33 passes for 290 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 30-23 loss to the Steelers. He added three rushes for 33 yards and also lost a fumble.
Smith put up some impressive numbers thanks to five completions of at least 20 yards -- matching his season high -- and he showed particular rapport with DK Metcalf on several long completions. That allowed him to average an impressive 8.8 yards per attempt -- his highest mark since Week 7. However, he still had some shortcomings, the most important of which was a lost fumble midway through the fourth quarter that allowed the Steelers to go up by two scores. Smith also failed to record multiple touchdowns for the eighth time in 14 starts on the campaign.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: QBs to Sit
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Smith has done well in his past two games against Dallas and Tennessee with at least 21.3 Fantasy points in each outing, but the Steelers defense appeared to get back on track in Week 16 against the Bengals. Pittsburgh intercepted Jake Browning three times and sacked him three times as well. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) could return in Week 17, and Smith was struggling against the Titans before scoring 11 Fantasy points on his final drive. I would only start Smith in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 17.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Leads team to victory in return
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Smith (groin) completed 25 of 36 pass attempts for 227 yards and two touchdowns with one carry for two yards in Sunday's 20-17 win over Tennessee.
Smith was back under center for the Seahawks after a nagging groin injury cost him two weeks of action. The veteran starter looked healthy in his return, completing 69 percent of his passes without turning the ball over. Smith threw his second touchdown in the closing moments of Sunday's narrow victory, giving Seattle its second comeback win in as many weeks. The 8-7 Seahawks will have to figure out how to contain the NFL's current sack leader, T.J. Watt, in order to keep Smith upright in the pocket when the Steelers and Seattle meet next Sunday.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Sleeper QBs
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Smith will return as the Seahawks starter in Week 16 at Tennessee after missing the past two games with a groin injury. The last time we saw Smith he scored 35.9 Fantasy points at Dallas in Week 13 in his best game of the season. I hope he stays hot in this matchup with the Titans, who have allowed five quarterbacks this year to score at least 22.2 Fantasy points, and my only concern for Smith is Kenneth Walker III taking over this game on the ground. I still expect Smith to have his sixth game with multiple touchdowns, and he's worth using as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in deeper leagues for Week 16.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Another full practice
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Smith (groin) practiced in full Thursday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports
Smith has missed two consecutive games due to a groin injury that he suffered during a Dec. 7 practice, but he was active this past Monday against the Eagles after completing a pregame workout. In the end, the Seahawks erred on the side of caution on a wet field and rolled with Drew Lock under center, and the latter led a come-from-behind 20-17 victory. Smith told Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic on Thursday that he feels "the same Monday that I do now," which so far has amounted to full listings on the first two Week 16 practice reports. Smith seems destined to resume QB duties Sunday at Tennessee, but it remains to be seen how coach Pete Carroll approaches the situation this weekend.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Smith will return as the Seahawks starter in Week 16 at Tennessee after missing the past two games with a groin injury. The last time we saw Smith he scored 35.9 Fantasy points at Dallas in Week 13 in his best game of the season. I hope he stays hot in this matchup with the Titans, who have allowed five quarterbacks this year to score at least 22.2 Fantasy points, and my only concern for Smith is Kenneth Walker III taking over this game on the ground. I still expect Smith to have his sixth game with multiple touchdowns, and he's worth using as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in deeper leagues for Week 16.
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Seahawks' Geno Smith: Will start Week 16 if healthy
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Coach Pete Carroll confirmed after Monday's 20-17 win over the Eagles that Smith will start versus the Titans in Week 16 as long as he's healthy, Brady Henderson of ESPN reports.
Smith was active for Monday's win despite his groin injury, but Seattle opted to proceed with Drew Lock under center. That decision likely came due to Smith still operating at less than 100 percent health, but barring any setbacks in practice this week, the stage appears set for his return to the lineup. Smith hasn't played since Week 13 due to a groin issue, but he was listed as a limited participant on all three Week 15 practice reports and should resume handling first-team reps this week.
