Seahawks' Geno Smith On 'Bittersweet' Drew Lock Reunion: 'He's A Starter'
The story of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith's 2022 season is a fascinating one.
After more than half a decade as a backup, Smith had the unenviable task of replacing longtime star Russell Wilson, who was traded to the Denver Broncos at the start of the offseason. Smith then did what most thought impossible, turning into a quality starter and actually improving Seattle's offense from the year before. Following his breakout season, the former journeyman led the NFL in completion percentage, was named to the Pro Bowl, won Comeback Player of the Year and signed a big extension to stay in Seattle.
What often gets lost in that story is the fat that the Seahawks didn't just hand Smith the starting job right away. He competed with fellow quarterback Drew Lock, whom Seattle acquired in the Wilson trade, throughout the offseason, and was only officially named the starter after the preseason. With Smith staying healthy and performing well throughout the season, Lock wound up not taking a single snap the entire year.
Despite that, the Seahawks were high enough on Lock to bring him back as the backup for another year. It's a move that Smith has mixed feelings on, as while he's happy to still have his close friend around, he feels that Lock deserves an opportunity to be an NFL starter again.
“It’s a bittersweet thing because I know he’s a starter and I know he can go and do great things," Smith said. "I want him to go get that opportunity somewhere but when he's in the room with me, we are going to push each other. He makes me better, hopefully, I make him better as a player. We have a great relationship, and I was happy to be able to continue that. When he gets his opportunity, he is going to kill it.”
Before coming to Seattle, Lock started 21 of the 24 games he played in three seasons with the Broncos. In his time in Denver, he completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 4,740 yards, 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. The Missouri product showed flashes of promise, but inconsistently led to him getting benched on multiple occasions.
Even with an up-and-down career so far, another starting gig may not be as farfetched as it sounds. Prior to re-signing with the Seahawks, Lock received some interest from other teams in free agency, and it's possible he could have competed for a starting role.
If or when Lock gets another chance as a starter, it's safe to say that Smith will be cheering him on each step of the way.
You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News
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