The Seattle Seahawks are granting Geno Smith the backup quarterback job to Russell Wilson, according to The Seattle Times' Bob Condatta. In a corresponding move, the team waived third-string quarterback Paxton Lynch, who's had a rocky preseason.
Unfortunately for Smith, a backup job behind Wilson rarely means regular season playing time. Wilson, despite the hits he's taken throughout his career, is a penultimate Iron Man quarterback. In seven years of play, he's never missed a game.
Smith, a second-round pick out of West Virginia in 2013, is now onto his fourth backup job after losing grasp of the starting position for the New York Jets in 2015. Before Seattle, Smith spent a year with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers. Perhaps his most iconic moment in recent memory is unseating Eli Manning as the Giants' starter in 2016.
Smith outplayed Lynch in a 17-15 preseason finale win over the Oakland Raiders on Thursday. He went 4-of-7 passing for 102 yards and a couple of scores, equating to a 141.4 passer rating. On the other hand, Lynch went 1-of-7 for four yards and a dreadful 39.6 passer rating.
After his performance, Smith wanted to let people know he can play at a high-level. Still, he knows he has to pay his dues as a backup.
“My job is to go out and show people that I can be a starter in this league,” said Smith, per Matt Calkins of The Seattle Times. “Obviously I have to assume my role here, but my job is to continue to show people who I am as a player. I was drafted in this league for a reason. I still have that same skill set.”
Maybe a year learning from Wilson and Pete Carroll will help him show off that skill set in the future.
Follow Us
Subscribe