The starting quarterback competition is finally over. We were just informed that Geno Smith has won the quarterback battle for the Seattle Seahawks. This comes straight from the mouth of their head coach Pete Carroll, who has apparently decided that he is the better option compared to Drew Lock.
It’s been known for a while now that Smith was in the lead, but it was always just that. He hadn’t really broken away or did anything crazy, it was just that Lock didn’t do much on his own end to compete. The announcement also comes right on the heel of a Seahawks loss in the preseason to the Dallas Cowboys. It was a game in which Lock got extensive time out on the field, but he threw three interceptions in the process.
Smith has been around the league for about a decade at this point. He started his career with the New York Jets, but nothing really took off. However, he’s very grateful for the opportunity that he’s been given by the Seahawks. He said, “You know it means a lot. It’s something that I’ve been preparing for. And the reality is that it’s just step one. It’s just the beginning and I’ve got to make sure that I’m ready to go out there and win and play 17 games and more. So, for me, I’m grateful, thankful, forever indebted to the Seattle Seahawks organization, but it’s time to get to work.”
Geno Has Already Started For The Seahawks
We’ve actually seen Geno start three games for the Seahawks during the regular season last year. If it weren’t for this experience, he probably wouldn’t have started this competition ahead of Lock straight away. In the preseason game he just wrapped up against Dallas, Smith threw for 43 yards and led the team to a field goal. He completed 50 percent of his passes in the process. Lock then took over and saw bad plays overtake the good ones he was able to make. Even Pete Carroll admitted that Lock’s unfortunate luck played a factor in the decision. Drew was ruled out for the second preseason game due to testing positive for COVID-19, another setback in the competition for him.
In all honesty, I was surprised to hear a decision like this made already. Pete said earlier this week that he didn’t anticipate making a quarterback decision anytime soon. That there was essentially no timeline for when he will announce it. Apparently, he and the rest of the Seahawks staff saw enough against Dallas. Smith will be kicking off the Seahawks season against none other than the Denver Broncos and Russell Wilson in Week 1. It’s going to be quite the night for both franchises.
As for Lock, he’s going to get another opportunity. If he continues to work and improve throughout the year, we might even see him down the stretch of the season. After all, Seattle is in the middle of a rebuild and Smith obviously isn’t the long-term answer. Lock will just have to wait a bit longer for the opportunity.