Seahawks QB Geno Smith Dedicates Victory to Former New York Giants' Brass

Smith expressed appreciation to the Giants' one-time head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese for their belief in him.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Oct 30, 2022 10:19 PM EDT

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Seattle Seahawks

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith waited a decade for this moment, and he not only got it, but he was also able to add a dig against the New York Giants, once his employers, whom he defeated 27-13 Sunday at Lumen Field.

Smith, who famously flopped in New York with both the Jets, who originally drafted him in the second round (No. 39 overall) in 2013, signed with the Giants as an unrestricted free agent in 2017 to serve as the backup to then-starter Eli Manning. Now enjoying life these days as quarterback of the 5-3 Seattle Seahawks, a team that sits atop the NFC West, the win over the Giants carried some extra sweetness.

Smith famously became caught up in a quarterback controversy, though through no fault of his own, during his brief time with the Giants. Head coach Ben McAdoo, perhaps frustrated by starter Eli Manning’s lack of mobility combined with a desire to see what the other quarterbacks (Davis Webb also being on the roster at the time), announced Smith as the starter on November 28, 2017, after Manning rejected a proposal to split game snaps with Smith to keep his streak alive.

The decision to bench Manning and end his consecutive starts streak didn't sit well with the fans, former players, and most of the media, and it left team co-owner John Mara, who seemed to be uncomfortable with how things unfolded, trying to clean up the mess that McAdoo's explosive decision created.

Manning handled his benching with class, but after the Giants dropped a 24-17 decision to the Raiders, McAdoo and Reese were both fired. Smith, who went 21 of 34 for 212 yards and one touchdown in that game, was demoted to the backup role behind Manning, who was reinstated the following week by interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo.

To be fair, Reese and McAdoo were already on shaky ground, given how the Giants season that year had begun spiraling out of control after the team made the playoffs the year prior. But the Manning fiasco sealed their fate as they became the first head coach-general manager duo to be fired in-season in team history.

“This game was for Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese,” said Smith, who completed 23 of 34 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns in the Seahawks' 27-13 win over the Giants Sunday. “They believed in me.”