Seahawks Hiring Greg Olson Adds Intrigue to Geno Smith, QB Situation

Less than a month away from the start of free agency, the Seattle Seahawks and Geno Smith seem motivated to strike a deal. But a new addition to the coaching staff opens the door for the franchise to look into other possibilities under center.

With the NFL's franchise tag window officially opening on Tuesday, the Seattle Seahawks have three weeks to knock out a long-term deal with quarterback Geno Smith or place the tag on him to prevent him from reaching free agency on March 15.

To this point, all signs suggest Smith's representatives and Seattle's front office have had amicable negotiations and things are trending in the right direction. Most recently, general manager John Schneider told hosts Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton on his weekly radio show on Seattle Sports 710 that the two sides have had "good talks" thus far and there's plenty of time to take care of business.

"Free agency doesn't start until the middle of March so there's a huge period here where we have time to work through things," Schneider said.

Based on comments from Smith himself at the Pro Bowl, the veteran signal caller doesn't envision the Seahawks slapping a franchise tag on him as the end result. After breaking several franchise single-season records in 2022, including completing a league-best 69.8 percent of his passes, he expects the organization will reward him with a much-deserved extension.

But while Smith may very well have a new deal inked in the near future, particularly with the busy NFL combine festivities coming up next month in Indianapolis, the decision to hire well-respected assistant Greg Olson as Seattle's new quarterback coach on Monday adds some intrigue to the franchise's decision-making process at the position.

A journeyman in the coaching world, Greg Olson has earned a deserved reputation as a quarterback whisperer at every level from NAIA to the NFL

Returning to the Pacific Northwest after serving as a senior offensive assistant for the Rams last season, Olson brings an immense wealth of experience to coach Pete Carroll's staff both at the NFL and college level. Along with 14 years as an offensive coordinator with five different teams, he also has been a quarterback coach with four teams, building a resume that stacks up against the best of the best in the assistant coaching ranks.

Whether at the NAIA level or in the rugged NFC West, Olson has a track record spanning more than 30 years of excelling at tutoring quarterbacks of all ages, skill sets and playing styles.

In his first NFL job following successful college stints at his alma mater Central Washington and Purdue where he helped develop future NFL quarterbacks Jon Kitna and Drew Brees, Olson helped 31-year old journeyman Jeff Garcia take his game to the next level as quarterbacks coach for the 49ers. The former CFL standout threw 32 touchdown passes and posted a 94.8 passer rating as San Francisco finished 12-4 and earned a Wild Card berth in 2001.

Five years later, after forgettable stints with the Bears and Lions, Olson turned in another fantastic coaching job with the then-St. Louis Rams, helping Marc Bulger throw for a career-high 24 touchdowns and earn his second Pro Bowl nod. While the Rams came up just short of the playoffs, they finished sixth in the NFL in scoring offense.

Along with his stellar work coaching up veteran quarterbacks such as Garcia and Bulger, Olson also impressed in different stops bringing out the best in young quarterbacks of varying skill sets and playing styles. Under his tutelage, Buccaneers second-year quarterback Josh Freeman threw 25 touchdowns and only six interceptions in 2010. Five years later, Blake Bortles broke out in his second season with the Jaguars, tossing a career-best 35 touchdown passes.

Two years later, in maybe his most impressive coaching job to date, Olson took Rams quarterback Jared Goff under his wing and the former No. 1 pick threw 28 touchdowns compared to only seven interceptions while guiding the team to a Super Bowl berth.

Coaching under Jon Gruden in Las Vegas, Greg Olson helped Derek Carr grow within the confines of his offense and put up the best numbers of his career

After that, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr turned in his two best seasons with Olson calling plays in 2019 and 2020, throwing 48 touchdowns and only 17 interceptions while producing the two highest passer ratings of his career.

What does this mean for expectations with Olson joining Seattle's staff? Given his sterling prior track record with veteran quarterbacks and two separate stints coaching under Sean McVay in Los Angeles, Smith could easily take a similar step forward in his progression working with him in 2023 and potentially beyond. Having already coached with coordinator Shane Waldron, the transition should be a seamless one and maintaining continuity at quarterback would only help those efforts.

But since Olson also has found great success with young, untested quarterbacks, including squeezing out career years from Freeman and Bortles before they eventually washed out of the league, his hiring opens the door for Seattle to revisit the possibility of drafting one early in April. Holding two first round picks, including the No. 5 overall selection courtesy of the Russell Wilson trade with Denver, Schneider has the ammunition to grab a franchise signal caller if he wishes to do so.

Headlined by former Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young and Ohio State star C.J. Stroud, this year's quarterback class offers far more star power than the lackluster class last year that featured only one selected in the first two rounds. If the Seahawks fall in love with one of those top prospects, they could pull the trigger and team the incoming rookie with Olson regardless of whether or not Smith returns.

Even more interestingly, if Smith commands more money than Seattle is able or willing to pay to retain him, Carr has started taking rounds as a free agent after Las Vegas released him earlier this month. Not in a rush to sign with a new team, while unlikely due to cost, there could be mutual interest teaming back up with Olson in the Pacific Northwest as an alternative plan if the team prefers a proven veteran under center.

The bottom line? Though the Seahawks will likely move forward with Smith as their starting quarterback - and should based on his performance a year ago - by bringing Olson on board, they have opened up flexibility to confidently look into other options at the most important position in the sport. It's a fascinating development to watch unfold as free agency and the draft loom in a critical offseason for the franchise.

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