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Sam Howell stepped in for Geno Smith during Week 15, and it made a lot of Seattle Seahawks fans think about how much they appreciate Geno. But remember, Howell’s play can make lots of quarterbacks look really good, like Dan Marino back in the day.
Geno Smith hurt his knee in a game against the Green Bay Packers and couldn’t come back in to play. Coach Mike Macdonald said there’s no serious injury to worry about. Still, there’s talk about whether the Seahawks might move on from him after this season and who might take his place if they do.
Seattle might not need to look far for a new quarterback. Their next opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, has Sam Darnold, who could be available soon. Darnold is set to become a free agent after the 2024 season and might be too expensive for the Vikings to keep.
Geno Smith’s injury could have the Seahawks considering Sam Darnold as a replacement next offseason.
Darnold signed a short-term deal with the Vikings to prove himself, and he’s done quite well, even getting some MVP buzz. The Vikings also have a rookie named J.J. McCarthy, who they hope will be their future quarterback. But McCarthy got hurt, so Darnold got more playing time and showed what he could do.
With McCarthy expected to be healthy by 2025, Darnold might not fit into Minnesota’s plans anymore. Keeping him would cost a lot, and reports say the Vikings might not bring him back. It could be smarter for them to use their money elsewhere.
For Darnold, joining the Seahawks could mean a starting job without worrying about being replaced by a younger player. Seattle has talented receivers like DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, along with a promising coach in Ryan Grubb.
Geno Smith is considered a pretty good NFL quarterback by many measures. He ranks ninth out of 69 quarterbacks according to Pro Football Focus with an 83.3 grade. He’s accurate with his passes but has had issues with interceptions and getting sacked a lot this season.
Cutting Smith could lead to a big financial hit for the Seahawks, making things tricky.
