NFL 2024 season - Seattle Seahawks team preview

Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab discuss Seattle's quarterback situation and whether Geno Smith is the answer long or short term. Listen and subscribe to the “Zero Blitz” podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

One big thing.

Seattle Seahawks.

This one's interesting to me, Frank, a lot of ways you could go totally.

New Seahawks team.

What's your one big thing?

Yeah.

My one big thing for the Seahawks is kind of the obvious one.

And it's which Geno Smith are we going to get this season?

Two years ago?

He was legitimately good.

Uh, he, that wasn't a fluke what he did two seasons ago.

He earned that contract from the Sea Seahawks.

He was a very, very good, accurate productive quarterback and then last year it just wasn't the same.

It was like, uh, you know, back in the days I'll show my age when you make a copy of a VVHS tape and the copy is just not quite as good.

That's what Geno Smith's 2023 season really felt like where it just was like, he wasn't awful.

He didn't fall off a cliff to the point where you're gonna cut him.

But there was talks about what do they do with him?

Do they bring him back?

And it always seemed like they were going to bring him back.

But the fact that there was a question says that he, his play took a step back last year.

Now, was that just the overall team thing?

I mean, obviously there's a reason Pete Carroll got fired that team disappointed last year.

It wasn't just Chino.

But I think if Mike mcdonald who comes in, who I really, really like and I actually, I really like the Seahawks team, I think they have a lot of talent.

The same reasons why I sat here a year ago talking about how I think the Seahawks could be a playoff team and contend with the 49er really still exist great receivers, a couple of great backs.

They're really building, they have some talents on that defensive side of the ball that I think Mike mcdonald can really get a lot out of, but none of it matters if 2023 Geno shows up in 2022 Geno shows up, I think that they have a chance to make the playoffs because it held around him is so good.

But at this point, Geno's had such a weird career arc in every single way.

I don't know what we can expect from him.

And I mean, Sam Howell are backup like he's not gonna save anything.

We saw him play with Washington last year trying to turn the ball over every other down.

So it's really Gino's job, they're gonna sink or swim with him and III, I have some faith in Geno to do that.

But honestly after last season, he's a total wild card and not just their season but the whole NFC West, it, how he plays is gonna shape how the entire divisional race turns out.

I think your point on Geno is a really smart one and it's part of why we were prepping for the draft at Yahoo.

I kept asking the question then, like, are the Seahawks quietly in the quarterback market?

Now, the way the board fell, they weren't going to be in the quarterback market.

Nothing changes that, that I honestly believe that next year there's a very good chance the Seahawks are in the quarterback market and it's not because Geno is not good.

It's just the, the question you asked a minute ago about the, the uh about the Saints really still resonates in my head about the Seahawks.

I don't think this is a team that's super bowl caliber with that quarterback.

Now, they do have some great weapons at wide receiver and I mean, great.

They do have a running back room that I absolutely love and they do now have a defensive coordinator that, as I've said on this show many times, it's gonna take a couple of years for them to learn this system.

That's Ravens players told us about his success in, in Baltimore, I think in a couple of years, the Seahawks have a chance at being a very good team.

So now as an organization, you kind of did the smart thing.

You didn't have to reach a quarterback because there wasn't going to be one there for you.

You run it back, Puccio while you build up this defense and teach them where you want them to be.

I, I think the window for the Seahawks is actually a year or two away.

So Geno is just treading water until then if he shows that he uh he is who he was a couple of years ago.

Maybe you do have some glorious moment of like, hey, we can keep this going a little longer.

More likely to me is he is who he is, which is pretty good, but pretty good.

Ain't gonna win you consistently Super Bowls, right?

So you're gonna have to get something better.

II, I love your question.

My question to you in two years.

Do you think Geno Smith is the starting quarterback at the Seattle Seahawks?

No, no, I can't.

I, I, I don't think so.

I think at some point they'll just want a higher ceiling like you've talked about, but I think he could be good this year and I think this team can make the playoffs.

So I'm kind of contradicting myself.

But I just think at some point before the next two years come up that they're gonna say it might even be a bridge thing where they draft somebody in Geno's kind of lame duck for a season, kind of teach a new kid.

But Uh, yeah, I, I think that G could be good this year.

I think they could make the playoffs, but I also don't think Geno will be their starting quarterback in a couple of years.