Geno Smith

Geno Smith has been one of the best quarterbacks of the 2022 NFL season. Here's how he has found success in his first primary starting job since 2014.

You gotta find the right young quarterbacks with the right mentality who are gonna continue to work and have a great attitude about the game and the struggle. "That’s just the reality of the NFL. Smith is adamant that he just needed more time to develop. Smith explained that there simply isn't as much patience with young quarterbacks in the current, results-driven NFL. "He’s shown faith in me," Smith said. It’s about the work we put in. "I know I’m better for all those years," Smith said of his seven years as a backup with the Jets, Giants, Chargers and Seahawks. Smith described not starting much over those seven years as "heartbreaking" because of his competitive nature. Smith is putting together what will easily be the best season of his NFL career to date. When Pete Carroll hit me up and was like, ‘Hey I’m giving you [an] opportunity to compete for the job,’ I mean, that’s all you have to say to me. ”The reality is, it’s hard to win [in] the NFL with a young quarterback," he said. They have started the season with a 4-3 record and are perched alone atop the NFC West, ahead of the reigning Super Bowl champion Rams and sleeper-darling 49ers.

The NFL on NBC YouTube channel offers daily football content for free, with exclusive videos from Peter King – including his interviews with players and coaches ...

King on the Packers and Buccaneers: “For the first time in six years, (Aaron) Rodgers and (Tom) Brady are on simultaneous two-game losing streaks. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for [ NBCSports.com](http://nbcsports.com/); making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports. King on Clark: “Made one of the plays of the NFL weekend to clinch Kansas City’s decisive 44-23 win over San Francisco…On third-and-nine from the Niners’ six-yard line and trailing 35-23, this was their last gasp. How big of a deal will it be to get a player at 30 coming off his second ACL in two years, particularly if he goes to a new team and has to get chemistry with a new quarterback he’s never played with?”Read the full FMIA column All the air was taken out of Levi’s Stadium and out of the Niners, and the game was over.” I try to be safe with the football, but I also know I can take some chances that maybe I shouldn’t.” Bengals QB Joe Burrow to King on his connection with Ja’Marr Chase: “I just have total, total confidence with Ja’Marr because of our time together. Winning five or six would mean the Panthers likely wouldn’t have their pick of the litter at quarterback, and that’s all that should matter to the franchise in the next six months.” King on the 49ers’ plans for McCaffrey: “Shanahan made it clear they intend to keep McCaffrey beyond this year. King on the Panthers’ potentially tanking this season: “If I’m a Panthers’ fan, I want my team to tank so as to gain the highest possible pick next year. Smith to King on competing for the Seattle job this offseason: “Over the years, not playing was heartbreaking…But what’s that cliche? Smith to King on the Seahawks’ future: “I think we’re built to last for this season and many seasons.

Peter King examines how no one in the Seattle Seahawks organization foresaw Geno Smith being a 30-percent upgrade over what Russell Wilson became in Denver.

Click here to find out more about our partners. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. You can select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices.

The Seattle Seahawks were not supposed to be good in 2022. They'd traded away Russell Wilson. They shed veteran players toward the end of the 2021 season ...

Then he uncorked a 12-yard strike to Tyler Lockett and got fired up again, but for all the right reasons. In a wide open NFC, Seattle is primed to return to the playoffs. Facing third-and-five in the third quarter of a 24-14 game, the Seahawks were served a questionable false start penalty when Austin Blythe turned his head to get a signal from Smith. When the play clock wasn’t properly reset, Seattle was forced to burn its first timeout of the half. The Seattle Seahawks were not supposed to be good in 2022. They shed veteran players toward the end of the 2021 season like they were approaching a rebuild.

The Seattle Seahawks are, shockingly, atop their division through the first seven games of the 2022 NFL season. Geno Smith's played the best football of his ...

I still have hope that the Seahawks will come to their senses and get back to losing games, but I will give them credit where credit is due. Of course, the Seahawks could always choose to trade up in the draft if they see a quarterback they want. If the Seahawks don’t draft a quarterback, they’ll either have to pay Geno Smith big money, or sign someone like Most predicted the Seahawks would tank the season away in order to draft a quarterback in the top five of the 2023 NFL draft. Following that model, the Seahawks have one more game to spare before they risk falling out of the top five. Pete Carroll was right when he said the Seahawks aren’t rebuilding. That 2019 Dolphins team won five games and played great towards the end of the season en route to drafting Tua Tagovailoa fifth overall. The Giants are stout defensively, while the Seahawks have an offense that’s top five in points per game. But given how well the Seahawks are playing this season, I fear inevitable disappointment in my future as the Seahawks miss out on drafting a big-time college quarterback. [Russell Wilson](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WilsRu00.htm) last Summer, most expected the Seahawks to finish the year as a bottom-five team in the league, maybe even a bottom-one team. Though the Seahawks are a penalty-riddled mess, they play hard in all three phases, and after a stellar win over the Chargers, have a 4-3 record. Next on their schedule, the Seahawks will face the overachieving New York Giants, who are currently 6-1.

Peter King examines how no one in the Seattle Seahawks organization foresaw Geno Smith being a 30-percent upgrade over what Russell Wilson became in Denver.

That’s just the reality of the NFL. The list goes on and on and on. You gotta find the right young quarterbacks with the right mentality who are gonna continue to work and have a great attitude about the game and the struggle. When Pete Carroll hit me up and was like, ‘Hey I’m giving you opportunity to compete for the job,’ I mean, that’s all you have to say to me. Just gratitude for his place in the game, right here, right now. You exult in the everyday joy of playing football when you thought there was a pretty good chance you’d never have the chance to be handed the reins of a team again. The numbers at the beginning of my career are kind of skewed if you ask me. [Kenneth Walker](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/67924/ken-walker), the rookie running back, was unstoppable. When you haven’t played much for the last eight years, you could give a flip about things like credit and headlines. And yet, the 16-percent increase barely impresses him. Walker](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/8260/pj-walker) beat Tom Brady, [Christian McCaffrey](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/1184/christian-mccaffrey) wore a new number for a new team, and [Joe Burrow](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/57910/joe-burrow) and [Patrick Mahomes](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/8824/patrick-mahomes) chased perfection, Smith had a pretty modest day: 20 of 27, 210 yards, two TDs. The defending Super Bowl champs, the Rams, are 3-3, and probably are lucky to be 3-3.