There are few stories in the NFL as compelling as Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith’s, and now he has the financial gains to match. Remember the movie “Jerry Maguire” and the veteran NFL player Rod Tidwell played by Cuba Gooding Jr.?
Minus the fictional scary on-field moment that captured the hearts of the world for Rod Tidwell, Smith showed what tenacity looks like in an NFL career. Now he’s getting rewarded for it.
Journeyman Geno can earn up to $105 million over the next three years, with $52 million in the first calendar year. The Seahawks didn’t want to lose Smith, who would become a free agent when the new league year starts. After ten years in the league, Smith took the contract extension with the Seahawks and is now the poster boy for success deep into your career.
Let Geno Cook
Ironically, he has Russell Wilson’s lackluster year in Denver to partially thank, as it allowed him to step out of the superstar QB’s shadow.
Recently, stories behind Russell Wilson’s departure from the Seattle Seahawks began coming out, with the most shocking that the former Seahawks QB tried to get head coach Pete Carroll fired. Wilson reportedly requested that the team let go of coach Carroll and Seahawks general manager John Schneider.
Instead, Seattle flipped the script and agreed to a trade with the Denver Broncos. Geno Smith had a winning record last season at 9-8 as the starting quarterback in Seattle. Smith even defeated the Broncos during their opening game for the season. In one season he earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year, became the NFL completion percentage leader, and made it to the Pro Bowl.
Through The Wire
That’s far from his 2013 NFL draft experience, where he was a second-round pick. Smith began his career with the New York Jets, where he was a starter for two years. In 2015, Smith had a physical altercation with Jets defensive end IK Enemkpali, ending up with a broken jaw. It set up then-backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who got a chance to shine.
That’s when Smith floated at the backup position from team to team. With no starter opportunities knocking down his door, Smith spent the next seven seasons bouncing from the New York Jets, New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers, and ultimately the Seattle Seahawks.
After two years in Wilson’s shadow, last year’s trade set up a faceoff with Drew Lock for that starting spot. Smith secured it and impressed all season long.
Now the Seahawks have to decide if they will look at the top four quarterbacks rising in this year’s draft. Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis, and Florida’s Anthony Richardson all showed out and are considered the next generation of gunslingers.
The team could use its fifth overall pick in the NFL draft to pick up a quarterback, but their financial commitment to Smith shows they realize they caught lightning in a bottle, and they want him to know it.
Smith exemplifies commitment and patience, as both were needed to accomplish his NFL starter dreams.
