Seahawks Geno Smith asks U.S. Patent Office to trademark quote from beating Russell Wilson

Geno Smith has learned more than just the Seahawks’ offense from Russell Wilson.

Smith is protecting his ability to cash in on his catchy quote after defeating Wilson and the Denver Broncos in the Seahawks’ opener last week.

Smith has filed a trademark request with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for his quote: “They wrote me off. I ain’t write back though.”

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s database search shows Smith submitted the request to its system Sept. 14. That was two days after he completed 23 of 28 passes with two touchdowns to beat Wilson and the Broncos 17-16 in the Seahawks’ season opener.

That was Smith’s first week-one NFL start in eight years. It’s the league’s longest gap for a quarterback between starting openers since 1971.

On the field immediately following his win over the Broncos, Smith said to end an interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salters: “They wrote me off. I ain’t write back, though.

“That’s the problem. I didn’t write back. Let’s go!”

Smith smiled. Then he walked away.

In 2020, during his next-to-last season as Seattle’s quarterback, Wilson filed a trademark request with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the phrase “Let Russ Cook.” That was the online social-media hashtag that became a movement that year for Wilson to throw the ball more in coach Pete Carroll’s historically run-first Seahawks offense.

Many around the league had written off Smith as he bounced around the league as a backup QB for seven years, including the last three as Wilson’s number two in Seattle. The 33-year-old former New York Jets starter in 2013 and ‘14 has been a backup for the Jets, Giants, Chargers and Seahawks since his last season as a full-time starter.

He won the job over Drew Lock Aug. 26 to replace the traded Wilson as Seattle’s starter.

Last week, Smith was asked where he came up with his phrase that might soon become trademarked.

“Yeah, that was just a spur of the moment,” he said. “It really just means that I didn’t respond, or I didn’t pay attention to anything that was said.

“But the wording and that type of stuff just kind of came to me. It really was just a spur of the moment.”

Smith and the Seahawks didn’t have nearly the pithy quotes or happy day this past weekend. They got smashed 27-7 by the San Francisco 49ers. The game in Santa Clara, California, wasn’t that close. Smith and Seattle’s offense haven’t scored in six quarters, since going up 17-10 in the first half of their opening win over Denver.

Still, Smith enters the Seahawks’ home game Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons (0-2) completing 81% of this passes through two games. That’s the highest completion rate in the NFL.

He’s been throwing quick, shorter passes as Carroll and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron have feared turnovers and poor pass protection against Denver’s and San Francisco’s defensive fronts. Smith is last among NFL starting quarterbacks, averaging just 8.3 yards per completion.

Carroll said Monday he wants Smith to throw more, and further down the field, to stretch defenses that are stacking the line of scrimmage because they know the Seahawks want to run the ball.