Geno Smith

Just as we all expected at the start of the 2022 NFL season, the league's 2023 offseason could hinge significantly on the fates of Geno Smith and Jared Goff ...

Teams that right now could be in the mix for guys like Young, Stroud, Levis or Richardson—the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers, in particular—could decide to instead pursue Goff or Smith if either were to become available in the spring. That's because Wilson and the Denver Broncos are having such a shockingly miserable year after that trade sent a first-rounder to Seattle, while Matthew Stafford's Los Angeles Rams have experienced a Murphy's Law-level Super Bowl hangover two years after shipping two first-rounders to the Motor City in the Goff-Stafford swap. In the midst of the home stretch, Seattle and Detroit are both scrapping for playoff positions in the NFC. They entered Week 15 a combined 13-13 with positive scoring margins, in large part due to the fact that Smith and Goff both rank in the top 10 among qualified passers in terms of touchdown throws, yards per attempt, passer rating and QBR. Smith has completely salvaged a once-nearly-forgotten career, while Goff is playing possibly the best football of his life for an inspiring Lions squad. That was especially the case with the Seahawks, who appeared to be entering a post-Russell Wilson bridge year with Smith serving as a placeholder, but the Lions were also widely expected to struggle ahead of a year in which they can save more than $20 million by parting ways with Goff.