Colin Cowherd compares Seahawks' $100,500,000 spend to Geno Smith's blockbuster move in a scathing review

Fox Sports commentator Colin Cowherd has given his take on the Seattle Seahawks' decision to replace quarterback Geno Smith with Sam Darnold.

Smith is a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback who was just traded from the Seahawks to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick in 2025 (92nd overall). Darnold played for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024.

The analyst made these remarks on his show, "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," on Wednesday, days after the Seahawks came to terms with Darnold:

"That's an incredibly Seahawk-friendly deal. It's like the Buccaneers Baker deal ... You kind of got a quarterback who's B to B+, and you got him for like, a C- contract.

"So, I mean, think about this all the 'How did you let Geno Smith go?' Russell Wilson, right now, can't really find a job, and in the last two years, he's had more touchdown passes and a higher passer rating than Geno Smith," said Cowherd.

The agreement marked the conclusion of Smith's six-year stint in Seattle. Geno Smith passed for 70.4% with 4,320 yards, 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 2024 as he guided the Seahawks to a 10-7 campaign.

Colin Cowherd makes a bold prediction about Sam Darnold surpassing Geno Smith

Syndication: Palm Beach Post - Source: Imagn

Colin Cowherd predicted Sam Darnold's probable performance in Seattle against Geno Smith's recent performance:

"I'm going to make a guarantee. This is Colin's personal guarantee, or your money back. Darnold will do better than 21 touchdowns and 15 picks next year," Cowherd asserted on his program.

This projection follows Darnold's career year with the Vikings, when he passed for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2024. Darnold did not fare as well in his last two games, though, including a playoff defeat to the Rams in which he was sacked nine times.

He also completed only 43.9 percent of his passes in the Week 18 season finale against Detroit.

The Seahawks' decision to part ways with Geno Smith surprised people, particularly after coach Mike Macdonald publicly supported his quarterback.

"Geno's our quarterback," Macdonald said last month. "It's pretty obvious this guy is a heck of a quarterback."

Seattle had also been negotiating a contract extension for Smith before the trade. The Seahawks gain $31 million in cash and cap savings in exchange for adding $13.5 million of dead money on the deal.

Smith was one year and $31 million away from being up for free agency, and all of that contract is being assumed by the Raiders.

Seattle's quarterback change is just one part of other big roster maneuvers, such as releasing star wideout Tyler Lockett and sending DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Seahawks hired offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who directly worked with Darnold in 2023 when both were on the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff. Only time will tell whether all these moves work.