Geno Smith says he avoided free agency, gave Seahawks a flexible deal: ‘I believe in team’

The last time the Seahawks dealt with their quarterback’s contract, he made them feel he didn’t want to be with them.

General manager John Schneider said a year ago “we were under the impression” Russell Wilson would not re-sign with Seattle when his contract was due to end after the 2023 season. So the team traded him, to Denver.

One day past 12 months to the hour of that trade, the Seahawks’ new franchise quarterback gave Seattle the exact opposite impression.

“I wanted to stay here. So we could get something done quickly. I didn’t want to have to test the free-agent market,” Geno Smith said Thursday, after Wilson’s replacement and 2022 Pro Bowl passer signed his three-year deal.

It’s worth a base of $75 million, with $40 million guaranteed plus $30 million more in possible incentives inside team headquarters.

Maybe Smith could have gotten more.

He definitely could have sought more.

But on his way to his first huge, franchise-cornerstone contract of his 10-year career, his first multiyear contract since his rookie deal a decade ago with the New York Jets, the 32-year-old quarterback made a decision.

It’s designed to allow the Seahawks to continue to build around him, back toward championships.

“I believe in team,” Smith said.

Schneider said the quarterback who was forgotten and, Smith has acknowledged, almost out of the NFL before Carroll, Schneider and Seattle gave him this chance is now a national inspiration.

“This is the ultimate team sport. Everyone knows that. We talk about it all the time,” Schneider said, sitting to Smith’s left inside the main auditorium of the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

“Geno, what he did last year, I want to let you know — I know you know this, but — what an inspiration you’ve been to men, women, young, old, all around the country about faith, perseverance, work ethic, being a good person, man.”

Smith nodded.

“Watching you last year was awesome...so thank you to you.”

Smith’s new deal is at its core worth $25 million per year for three seasons. It’s front-loaded more than Wilson’s years were in Seattle, more than most contracts have been for foundational players in the team’s Carroll-Schneider era that began in 2010.

Smith’s incentive-packed deal leaves his base salaries and salary-cap numbers team friendly enough the next two years that it affords the Seahawks the cap space to buy proven, quality free agents in a market that opens Wednesday. The league’s salary cap increased to $224.8 million this year. It is expected to near $250 million per team in 2024 as the NFL’s new media-right deals kick in beginning this year.

Smith acknowledged he is essentially betting on himself to earn most or all of the contract’s maximum value of $105 million through maintaining his Pro Bowl play and advancing the re-loaded Seahawks further into the postseason than their first-round loss at San Francisco Smith started in January.

“With the contracts and the incentives, it’s just a way, obviously, for both parties to make it work,” he said. “It allows the team space and (salary-cap) room to do what it needs to do.

“Obviously, it gives me the opportunity to be one of the top-10 paid quarterbacks, which is something I believe I am.

“With all those things, I think it worked out pretty great.”

This contract, if he maxes out its value, would tie Smith with Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins for 11th-richest in average annual value. The New York Giants gave quarterback Daniel Jones $40 million a year on a new deal this week, to vault him into the top 10 in salaries.

In a league where for players guaranteed cash is king, Smith gets $40 million guaranteed up front. That $40 million fully guaranteed at signing is 36th-most in an NFL contract, tied with Laremy Tunsil, the Houston Texans left tackle.

Twelve quarterbacks got more money fully guaranteed when they signed their current deals, including Derek Carr earlier Monday from the New Orleans Saints. Carr, the former Raiders captain, one year younger than Smith, got $60 million guaranteed at signing.

Asked if he feels respected after signing his contract, Smith said Thursday: “Yes. Yes, I do.

“I’ve always felt respected in this organization.”

Loyalty, both ways

Schneider said that respect and loyalty is what got this deal done, with terms that give the Seahawks financial flexibility for the next three years.

“Geno and I have had tons of conversations over the years, (on) a wide variety of things. The last conversation we had (we said) everything we are doing here we are trying to maximize your value,” Schneider said. “We are also trying to put together a consistent, championship-caliber team. So there’s a balance that goes into that.

“I have to give Chafie (Fields and the Wasserman Media Group of agents) a ton of credit for being creative, for being open-minded, understanding what we all wanted to accomplish — that was, maximizing Geno’s earning potential, recognizing what he’s done and where he can go — as well as trying to help him be a championship quarterback.”

Smith said it “extremely important” to him that he agree to a deal that keeps Seattle in play to sign more free agents to fix a problematic defensive front. The offense needs to get a new center, running-back depth and a third wide receiver in the next two months.

Smith’s contact is also the first Seahawks contract for a starting quarterback in 11 years to be only three seasons in length. You have to go back to Matt Flynn’s three-year, $20.5 million contract with Seattle in the spring of 2012 to find a deal this short for a starter. Wilson then beat out Flynn in that’s year’s training camp, and Flynn was out with the Seahawks before he was ever in.

Wilson’s two extensions with Seattle were four years, at top of the league’s market.

The three-year deal for Smith keeps the Seahawks in play to choose a top quarterback in next month’s draft. Seattle has a once-in-a-generation pick, at fifth overall, because of the Wilson trade to Denver and the Broncos flopping to 5-12 last season.

Carroll and Schneider both said last week at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis they are considering drafting the top quarterbacks with their first choice.

Smith said he welcomes the team doing that, because he loves competition. He beat out 25-year-old former Broncos starter Drew Lock for the Seahawks’ job last year on his way to where he is now.

“I love to compete, so I’ll compete with anybody,” Smith said, wearing a T-shirt for his 7Sunday Heroes foundation. “But I’m also going to help him out as much as I can — same as I did with Drew.

“Whether it’s a young guy or someone else, I’m going to help that player on the team be the best that he can be, because that is my job as a leader.

“And that’s who I am, at heart.”

Geno Smith’s ‘incredible journey’

Smith’s route to getting his franchise-quarterback deal is unlike any in Seahawks’ and recent NFL history.

He went from a rookie starter struggling his first two years with the Jets to getting punched in the jaw by a teammate and losing his job with them. Then, seven years as a backup for four teams, the Jets, Giants, Chargers and Seahawks. Seven consecutive one-year contracts.

Smith was arrested by the Washington State Patrol for allegedly driving under the influence in January, 2022, in Bellevue. Those charges and that case is still pending because of a backlog in the state’s laboratory that processes blood tests for blood-alcohol levels. Smith said last summer “I don’t see anything, any problems” for him in that case.

Last March, the Seahawks granted Russell Wilson his wish and traded him, to Denver. Carroll made Smith Wilson’s replacement from the first practice of the first minicamp last spring, because he was popular with the locker room and had proved himself to coaches and teammates the previous three years backing up Wilson.

Smith seized his first chance in eight years to start. He led the league in completion percentage. He broke three of Wilson’s team passing records for a season. He was selected for the Pro Bowl for the first time. He led Seattle to where Wilson did not in 2021, to the playoff. Smith made his first career postseason start, in his 10th professional season.

Now, generational wealth. His raise is from $7 million maxing out incentive last year to $28 million or more this year, depending how well he plays.

“Incredible journey,” he said.

“Fulfilling.”

What was the value he took from that journey?

“I believe, hopefully, it’s an inspiration. To everyone,” Smith said. “Just to continue to believe in yourself. To work hard. To never waver in your confidence. And, then, to be opportunistic.

“When you get the opportunity, you’ve got to run with it.”