Seahawks at Cowboys QB Starter Revealed by Coach Pete Carroll: It's Geno Smith

“This is the next step,” Carroll said Wednesday.

Who will be the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks this upcoming season? 

That remains to be seen, though Seattle coach Pete Carroll gave fans some news Wednesday regarding who will get the game-opening snaps for the team's third and final preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys Friday night. 

During a radio appearance Wednesday with the Mike Salk Show on Seattle Sports, Carroll announced that quarterback Geno Smith would get the first-team reps against Dallas, meaning he will now have started all three preseason games for the Seahawks.

His competition, Drew Lock, could have gained some significant traction in last week's preseason loss against the Chicago Bears, but his bout with COVID forced him to miss some valuable reps. 

(Smith) is going to start this game,” Carroll said. “He’s going to go in there first, he’s going to play a little bit, then Drew is going to get to play most of the game for us—just give him a lot of playtime and leave him out there, let him play football, because of what we missed last week.”

Smith is getting the start, but Carroll also admitted that Lock will receive some significant playing time. The prediction for who will be the starter in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos remains clouded. 

But due to Lock's unexpected absence, Carroll says he needs all the reps he can get.

“This is the next step,” Carroll said. “Remember, it was going to be different going into this game by what we learned last week, so we didn’t get that information. So I just need to gain information, I need to give Drew every chance to show who he is and what he’s all about.”

In Smith's first two games of preseason action, he's completed 20 of 33 passes for 213 yards, no touchdowns, and no picks. He did rush for a touchdown in the first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Geno has not done anything to take a step backwards,” Carroll said. “He has been on it throughout. He has done a great job, so we’re really excited that he has been able to be that for us. But the other side of it is that Drew is a very exciting football player too, and he’s what keeps this thing alive. It’s fun watching him practice and we’ll see what he does.”

In Lock's only game of preseason action up to this point, he played well, as the fourth-year pro went 11 of 15 passing for 102 yard and two touchdowns against Pittsburgh. 

His opportunity to bolster his chances at winning the starting job will begin when the Seahawks and Cowboys kickoff Friday at 5 p.m. P.T. 

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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