Continuing Impressive Camp, Geno Smith Stars in Seahawks First Mock Scrimmage

The Seahawks only played four total drives in Saturday's shortened mock scrimmage. But several players still shined, with the backup quarterback standing out as the star leading two scoring drives and finishing a perfect 8 for 8 as a passer.

Though the Seahawks first game action of the 2020 season was cut short due to a head injury suffered by defensive end Branden Jackson, several players enjoyed strong outings during the team's mock scrimmage at CenturyLink Field on Saturday.

Standing out as the star of the afternoon, backup quarterback Geno Smith dominated at the controls for two scoring drives. He completed all eight of his passes, including finding tight end Jacob Hollister for a 21-yard score on the opening possession of the scrimmage.

“Geno did a nice job,” coach Pete Carroll said following the shortened game. “That was a really nice series going down the field the first series, he hit everything and looked great. He was real comfortable, felt really confident in the communications and handling the situations going against the first defense, so he did a nice job. It’s great to see.”

On the opening drive, Smith connected with John Ursua twice to get his squad close to midfield. A few plays later, he found Aaron Fuller downfield on a vertical and the undrafted rookie made a great leaping catch with Shaquill Griffin all over him in coverage. One play later, Hollister was in the end zone to kick off the scoring.

Aside from taking a sack on third down from a blitzing Bobby Wagner on the second series - which led to a short Jason Myers field goal - Smith played flawless football. Now in his second year in Seattle's offensive system, he appears to have mastered the playbook and his skill set fits in perfectly as a backup for Russell Wilson.

The former second round pick out of West Virginia has had a very strong training camp thus far, playing like the seasoned veteran with prior NFL starting experience that he is and further separating himself from the competition. He's shown improved decision making on the practice field while exhibiting the arm strength and athleticism that at one point made him a top prospect entering the 2013 NFL Draft.

Along with having a great working relationship with Wilson, if Smith was called upon to take snaps in a regular season game, Carroll has no doubts he could keep the offense afloat in the short term.

“He’s such a talented player, and he understands our stuff, and he fits in so well,” Carroll stated. “He’s really all we’re looking for there at that spot. He’s really good at it. In the supporting role for Russ, they communicate beautifully, they really count on each other for the input and the experiences that they’ve had. Geno is just a consummate guy in that role he’s playing.”