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At the beginning of the 2022 NFL season, the Denver Broncos made what was then thought of as the "blockbuster trade" of the season—acquiring 10-year, multi–Pro Bowl, Super Bowl Champion quarterback Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks.
The trade left the Seahawks with perennial backup quarterback Geno Smith and newly acquired Drew Lock for their quarterback choices.
Some believed that the Seahawks were in a rebuild. The question then became which Seahawks quarterback would be the bridge for the next franchise quarterback, Smith or Lock.
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"They wanted to write me off…but I didn't write back."
Smith landed the starting job. The 2022 start was his first as a full-time starting quarterback since 2014.
Smith finished the season with 572 passing attempts (the most passing attempts Wilson had as a Seahawk was 558 in 2020), 4,282 passing yards, a league-high 69.8% completion percentage, 30 passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, 11 interceptions, and averaged 18.5 fantasy points per game. He is a finalist for NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
The Seahawks made the playoffs. The Broncos finished 5-12.
Smith, The Free Agent
Smith played the 2022 season on a one-year contract. Per Spotrac.com, his 2022 contract was for $3,500,000, a signing bonus of $500,000, and a total guarantee of $500,000, guaranteed at signing $500,000.
He also received approximately $1 million in incentives for making the playoffs.
Will the Seahawks Re-Sign Smith in the 2023 Offseason?
The Seahawks reportedly have $34.8 million in cap space. They have 47 players under contract for the 2023 NFL season.
The conversations to re-sign Smith have started. There is no question that Smith outplayed his previous contract. Will both sides agree on his current value?
His market value (per spotrac.com) is a two-year, $78,650,052 contract with an AAV of $39.3 million. The franchise tag for quarterbacks is projected to be around $32.5 million.
The Seahawks also have the fifth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
They will rely on Smith's 2022 outlier performance and sign him to a multi-year deal.
Fantasy Football Outlook
Smith finished the 2022 season as a fantasy QB5. He averaged 18.52 fantasy points per game. His QB5 finish was buoyed by four games where his fantasy points exceeded 20. His lowest fantasy score was in Week 2 against San Francisco, where he scored 6.1, and his highest was in Week 4 against Detroit, where he scored 31.7.
This season was an outlier in production. In the two previous seasons where Smith started, he averaged 12.1 and 10.8 fantasy points per game.
It feels like "doubt Smith at your own risk," but depending on him as your QB1 in the upcoming season is fool's gold.
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