Seahawks Coach Mike Macdonald Officially Names Starting QB

Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald has made his starting quarterback decision clear.

Seattle Seahawks v Arizona Cardinals / Christian Petersen/GettyImages

The Seattle Seahawks have made headlines this offseason thanks to some notable moves in the quarterback room. Though it's not exactly surprising to most, there's hardly any similar drama when it comes to deciding who will be starting at QB next season.

Per Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, Geno Smith is officially the QB1 for next season despite the recent trade acquisition of Sam Howell from the Washington Commanders.

Seattle Seahawks v Arizona Cardinals / Christian Petersen/GettyImages

"I've talked to Geno about it," Macdonald said, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. "Very confident in Geno. Geno's going to be our starter. Sam (Howell) knows he's going to be our backup, but Sam is a great young player, and he's got a really bright future that we believe in."

The arrival of Howell combined with the new regime under Macdonald understandably presented the question of a quarterback competition, though it always felt unlikely that a veteran like Smith would be unseated by Howell ahead of his first season in Seattle.

Howell, 23, played in all 17 games for Washington this past season after being a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He went 388 of 612 passing for 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. Though Howell showed tons of positive flashes, he led the league in interceptions and sacks taken (65).

A year learning under Smith could do wonders for Howell, especially if the Seahawks think he can be the franchise quarterback in the post-Geno era.