The Seattle Seahawks seemed to have made their decision on who the team's backup quarterback would be when they released Paxton Lynch. But according to Joe Fann of NBC Sports, Geno Smith was released by the team as well.
Geno Smith was cut by the #Seahawks.
Seattle find it's backup QB elsewhere.
— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) August 31, 2019
However, Brady Henderson of ESPN notes that the release of Smith could just be “roster maneuvering” by the Seahawks to ultimately bring him back.
Take 2: Geno Smith is among the players the Seahawks released. It looked like he had won the backup job once Paxton Lynch was waived, so we'll have to see what this means. Possible that it's merely roster maneuvering by Seattle.
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 31, 2019
The Seahawks would need to place a player (or players) on injured reserve to create room for Smith to return. Or there's a chance that Pete Carroll isn't comfortable with his current quarterback situation and is interested in finding someone in free agency.
At the beginning of training camp, Seattle knew it would have a competition for the No. 2 quarterback spot on the depth chart. The team brought in Smith and Lynch to battle it out during the preseason and in practice.
After four games in the preseason, it was safe to say that Smith had outplayed Lynch. The former New York Jets quarterback saved his best game for last in the Seahawks' preseason finale, completing four of his seven passing attempts for 107 yards and two scores. Lynch, meanwhile, had the worst game of his preseason with just one completion for a mere four yards. Neither quarterback thoroughly impressed, so it wouldn't be surprising if Seattle went in another direction.
During roster cuts on Saturday, quarterbacks like Brian Hoyer, Cardale Jones, and Cody Kessler were released by their respective teams. The Seahawks will likely consider all of their options before they bring back Smith.