Mike Macdonald: Geno Smith Returning to Seahawks 'Best For Team' in 2025

While Mike Macdonald acknowledged the decision isn't his to make, he vouched for Geno Smith to be back under center for the Seahawks next season.

Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to pass the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

RENTON, Wash. - Though Geno Smith's future with the franchise won't be his choice to make, Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald hopes to see the veteran quarterback back under center next season either on his current contract or with a new deal.

Speaking with reporters for the final time before transitioning into the offseason, Macdonald praised Smith for his leadership and productivity during a "really good year," indicating his presence as the starting quarterback and a key cog in the locker room remains the best situation for the Seahawks moving towards 2025.

"I want Geno to be here," Macdonald said when asked about Smith's future. "I think he's a heck of a player. The first thing it always comes back to is what's best for the team. I feel like Geno's best for the team right now. I'll be involved with it. Ultimately it's not my decision, it's the Seahawks decision, but Geno knows how we feel about him and we love him as our starting quarterback for sure."

Setting a team record with 578 pass attempts in former offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's scheme, Smith established several new franchise marks in 2024, including throwing for 4,320 yards and becoming only the 20th quarterback in NFL history to finish a full season with a 70 percent or better completion rate. He capped off the season by clinching three escalators on his contract, including leading the Seahawks to a 10th win, earning an additional $6 million in bonuses for next season.

Those numbers stacked up favorably against top quarterbacks, but prior to throwing a career-high four touchdowns in Sunday's 30-25 win over the Rams, Smith only had thrown 17 touchdowns compared to 15 interceptions in the first 16 games. Most concerningly, he threw a league-worst five picks in the red zone, including a pick six against the Rams in Week 9 that led to a back-breaking overtime loss at Lumen Field.

Given those turnover issues in key moments, a 2025 cap hit now expected to be $44.5 million with his new bonus money, and his looming 35th birthday next season, Smith's standing as starting quarterback has been put into focus after the Seahawks missed the postseason for a second straight year.

But on Monday, while Macdonald didn't absolve Smith for some of the blame regarding his higher than desired interception total, he reiterated that those numbers reflect as team stats in his opinion rather than pure quarterback stats with a number of other factors leading to many of those turnovers.

"It's everybody, right?" Macdonald explained. "It's putting ourselves in those situations, it's clarity on the reads, it's Geno making the correct decisions in real time, guys being in the right spots. It's overall, how much kind of are we putting on his plate on a play in, play out basis? I think all that stuff goes into it and we're going to look to build on those situations because some of those came in the red zone. Those are critical interceptions that we're going to want back."

If the decision was his to make on his own accord, Macdonald has made it clear he wants Smith to return next season. But he acknowledged relieving Grubb of his duties on Monday adds another wrinkle to the equation that could potentially alter how Seattle proceeds at the quarterback position as well as other personnel choices in coming months.

After Sunday's win at SoFi Stadium, Smith praised Grubb for his efforts during his first season, expressing excitement of being able to get back to work with him in the spring. Not offering any specifics and opting to keep the details of their discussion private, he told reporters he spoke with the quarterback shortly after the news broke on Monday and as expected, the veteran handled the news with professionalism.

Now, as interviews begin to take place, Smith's status as the starter at the most important position in pro sports will undoubtedly be of great interest for candidates as Macdonald and Schneider cast a wide net looking for the right coach to succeed Grubb.

"Anytime you're bringing anybody in, coaching wise, you want it to be, you want to understand what their vision is based off the players that we have and how they would kind of deploy everything," Macdonald said. "That's going to definitely be a topic of conversation."

With it only being early January, the Seahawks have plenty of time to make a decision on what they plan to do with Smith and the quarterback position in general. Right now, filling the offensive coordinator vacancy will be the top priority, and once that domino eventually falls, whoever comes on board will have a say in how the team handles personnel heading towards free agency and the draft.

In the case of Smith, March 16 stands out as a key date to watch, as his $10 million roster bonus and $6 million in escalators are due on that day. If Seattle decides it wants to go a different direction with a new coordinator having interest in working with a different signal caller, the team can release him without paying that $16 million and would open up $31 million in cap space while incurring a $13.5 million dead cap charge.

Based on what Macdonald has already said since the conclusion of the season, however, it seems more likely Smith will receive an extension than be cut free, as long as his price point doesn't eclipse what Schneider and the front office are willing to pay. Those negotiations will be worth monitoring in coming months closing in on an offseason with no shortage of important decisions on the table for the organization to make.

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