Seahawks GM’s hint about master plan with Geno Smith raises eyebrows

Geno Smith has spent the past two seasons as the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks after spending most of his career as a backup. While he thrived as one of the biggest surprises in the NFL during his first year with the team, his second season was less impressive.

His decline in performance surely contributed to the Seahawks missing out on the NFL playoffs after appearing in the previous season. The regression of his play and the team's outcome has resulted in rumors during the 2024 NFL offseason. The rumors suggest the franchise could go in a different direction with their QB position.

General manager John Schneider was asked about his situation during a recent press conference at the 2024 NFL combine, via Gregg Bell of The News Tribune. Specifically, he was asked if Geno Smith will continue being the Seahawks' starter for the upcoming 2024 NFL season.

“Yeah," Schneider said. "Yes ... The starter until he’s not ... We have a vision. We have a plan for what we will be doing.”

Bell explained Schneider would use the offseason to assess the situation along with new head coach Mike Macdonald and the rest of the Seahawks staff. The interview happened at the 2024 NFL combine, where Schneider evaluates prospects ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. Based on his comments, he may be looking at QBs.

Can Seahawks replace Geno Smith in 2024 NFL draft?

Geno Smith

The Seattle Seahawks are in an interesting situation with their QB situation ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. Former head coach Pete Carroll recently stepped down from his position and was replaced by first-timer Mike Macdonald.

Many new head coaches prefer to pick their QB, rather than inheriting one. This could be the situation with Geno Smith, who was named the starter by Carroll, not Macdonald.

Seattle currently owns the 16th overall pick in the draft, so unless they make a big move trade up, they will likely miss out on the top three elite prospects. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels will likely be gone by the time the Seahawks are on the clock.

With Smith under contract for two more years, this could create a favorable situation for a potential rookie. They could theoretically sit behind Smith for a season or two before moving into the starting role. This strategy has proven as successful with many QBs over the years. So the Seahawks could be in the mix for prospects like JJ McCarthy and others on draft day.