Seattle Seahawks: Building off a surprising 2022, Part 1 – Re-sign Geno Smith
Andrew Elderbaum
|
Geno Smith, the NFL’s 2022 Comeback Player of the Year, is NOT a failed backup who had a lucky season. That is, if throwing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns in a season is “lucky.”
He’s a former top draft pick who had a rough rookie season, followed by a slightly better one at the tail end of the Rex Ryan era in New York. Ryan wasn’t exactly an offensive guru or big on player development.
After leaving the Jets, Smith found himself out in the wilderness as a backup for the better part of a decade before getting his chance with the Seattle Seahawks. He isn’t a guy who had shot after shot and failed.
Gannon 2.0
A good comparison to Geno Smith’s career is Rich Gannon. The latter’s NFL career started with three mediocre seasons, and then he suffered a serious shoulder injury.
After missing some time, then spending the next four seasons as a backup, Gannon became an above-average starter. While never the best NFL quarterback, his career went to the next level when he signed with Oakland in 1999 at age 34.
Gannon took the Raiders to the playoffs multiple seasons and had a Super Bowl run. If not for the “Tuck Rule” game, he’d have had two.
Smith is two years younger than Gannon was when the latter’s career took off and has far more arm talent. Nothing in this year’s performance casts doubt that he couldn’t have a 4-5 year run as an above-average starter for the Seattle Seahawks.