Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith Misses Second Practice, Needs 'Imaging'

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith did not practice on Thursday, and head coach Mike Macdonald explained why afterward.

Jul 27, 2024; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) jogs off the field after training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Alarm bells went off among fans when Geno Smith came out to practice in street clothes on Thursday at the VMAC. Smith has had a solid training camp and has distanced himself from the other quarterbacks on the roster. He enters his third camp as the main guy in Seattle.

New head coach Mike Macdonald responded to questions after practice and gave a brief, vague update on Smith.

"He's working through a couple things from the other day," Macdonald said Thursday about his starting quarterback. "[He'll] get some imaging tonight and we'll see."

MacDonald appeared skeptical about Smith's status for Friday's practice. He did not provide any specifics on the injury itself. The team said he was dealing with a hip/knee injury on Wednesday.

Per Mike Macdonald, Geno Smith will undergo imaging and is "working through a couple of things," but the coach wouldn't say what he's having checked out. Knee/hip were areas previously disclosed on Wednesday. #Seahawks

— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) August 1, 2024

If Smith is to miss significant time or even regular season games, that would put the Seahawks in a bind out of the gate. As mentioned, the two-time Pro Bowler is clearly the best quarterback on the roster. Sam Howell has struggled to grasp the offense fully and has not been as sharp with accuracy early in camp. PJ Walker is also in camp, providing depth on the back end of the roster.

Smith likely was not going to get much action in their first preseason game on August 10 either way. If Smith is to miss any significant time, they may even need to add a signal caller to the roster to take snaps in preseason games and practice.

Sam Howell took the majority of the reps with starters and seemed to look more comfortable than previous days. PJ Walker also took more reps and made a highlight play.

#Seahawks practice just wrapped up at the VMAC. Sam Howell had a strong day overall in place of Geno Smith, including throwing three touchdowns during red zone period.

Laviska Shenault also scored a 75-yard TD from PJ Walker and Tre Brown had a pick six.

— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) August 1, 2024

If the news is bad, the Seahawks do have one thing working for them: Not many, if any, NFL franchises have a backup quarterback with 17 career starts and is still under the age of 24. If Howell needs to be the main guy for any length of time, he already has that experience at the NFL level from his time in Washington.

Seattle fans and coaches now anxiously wait for the results of the imaging Smith is scheduled to receive tonight.