Seahawks QB Geno Smith Earned Lofty Incentive in Win vs. Jets

A resurgent season for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith got even better with his performance against the New York Jets earning him a big incentive.

While both quarterback Geno Smith and coach Pete Carroll downplayed the revenge narrative when the Seattle Seahawks faced the New York Jets in Week 17, beating their former team undoubtedly felt pretty good. 

This was especially the case when you consider how important the win was for the Seahawks to keep their hopes of making the playoffs alive. For Smith, though, his performance against the Jets was significant for another reason as well. 

After completing 18 of 29 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns, Smith has now thrown for 4,069 yards this season. Upon crossing the 4,000-yard threshold, a $1 million incentive was triggered in Smith's contract which makes the victory over the Jets that much sweeter. 

Smith became just the second quarterback in Seahawks history to throw for 4,000 yards, joining Russell Wilson who did it four times in his Seattle career.

Now, though, Smith and the Seahawks must turn their attention to Week 18 and the Los Angeles Rams. A win doesn't clinch a playoff berth without some help, but it keeps them alive. Along with a win of their own, the Seahawks need the Detroit Lions to either beat or tie with the Green Bay Packers in order to secure a postseason berth.

The resurgence of Smith's career this season has been one of the most intriguing story lines in the NFL. And now, the Seahawks have a chance to punctuate it with a playoff berth when no one thought they could do it before the season started. 

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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