He came back for a very team-friendly contract with incentives in 2023, then again in 2024 for the first year without Pete Carroll as head coach in Seattle since 2010. His numbers have not been bad since, but his QB Rating has fallen each season: 100.9 in 2022, 92.1 in 2023, and 90.5 in 2024. The Seattle Seahawks have, so far, been a 9-win outfit each of those years. This year’s figure ranks him 19th in the NFL this year… that’s Derek Carr territory .

You could blame some of this on the deterioration of the offensive line in Seattle: ranked bottom-5 in run-block win-rate (according to ESPN) and 2nd-worst in the league at allowing pressure (39.9% of drop backs). I think, however, the theme around Seattle over the last couple of years is frustration. Frustration at always being slightly better than average. Frustration at the same results over and over and over again. That consternated vibe carried Carroll out of the PNW and ushered in Mike Macdonald and his crew of cronies.

Mike Macdonald himself (partnered with John Schneider, no doubt) ha(ve)s been unafraid to let solid players go to seek the outstanding. Tyler Lockett got demoted, Stone Forsythe sat on IR, Zach Charbonnet finally got run, 6th and 7th round rookies (Sataoa Laumea and Michael Jerrell, respectively) were given a shot on the offensive line, Sam Howell was traded for, Darrell Taylor, Mike Jackson and Jerome Baker were all shipped out, Josh Jobe took Tre Brown’s job, Coby Bryant took Rayshawn Jenkins’ job, Riq Woolen was once again benched, and the Hawks’ leader in tackles (up until that point) in Tyrel Dodson was straight up cut. It’s a new era, and everyone has a shot to make some noise and prove something to the new head man. This isn’t just ho-hum try your best buds… every position will be evaluated.

I do believe that it is in the best interests of the team to bring back Geno Smith if you can get him on a relatively cheap contract. I mean, the man is 34 years old… a grandpappy in NFL eyes. Seattle already fired its offensive coordinator in Ryan Grubb, so a little continuity in another transition year couldn’t hurt. That’s also the reason I think the Hawks hire an experienced play caller this time around, but that may be an article for another day. Bring the offensive leader back at a figure that doesn’t break the bank, and if he can’t get it done, you have Sam Howell and hopefully some kind of draft pick as the contingency plans. You’ve got to believe all of the chemistry and good will Smith has banked in Seattle could lead him to offer a hometown discount at this point in his career as well. If the team around his is elite and cohesive next year, if he is not under constant siege in the pocket, he is a capable trigger man that knows his weapons.

Having that been said, let’s dive into the possible destinations that could beckon to Geno Smith, if the Seahawks ring of trust disagrees with me and wants to do a clean sweep. If Smith winds up parting with Seattle as a part of the next steps of the Mike Macdonald era (which Kenneth Arthur seems pretty convinced will happen), there should be demand for a capable passer. Maybe not from former teams in the Jets and Giants, but there will be a market for his services. Wherever he goes (especially be it in Seattle), I’ll wish him success.

In Alphabetical Order:

Carolina Panthers

• This is an absolute wild card to start with, but the QB coach for Geno during his breakout year is now the HC in Carolina. Smith could be very attracted to playing in a similar system that he found a lot of success in, proving that it’s his surroundings and not his age that’s responsible for regression. Los Panteras invested in the offensive line this past offseason, signing OG’s Robert Hunt and (former Seahawk teammate) Damien Lewis. Dave Canales know the value of this, as the team he just left his post as OC for (the Buccaneers) have the 4th-ranked line (according to PFN) going into Week 18. Think Smith disagrees with the Seattle GM’s stance on guards after this season of hell behind John’s joke of a line? This would also be the locale with the shakiest hold on the job, as Bryce Young has shown a bit of improvement late in the season.

Cleveland Browns

• What if there is a true competition with Deshaun Watson? Watson has been underreported as the worst trade of all-time… don’t give that to Russ! Watson has been bad, even despite Cleveland’s OL being 11th in pass block win rate, according to ESPN. Our guy G. would pray for line play that solid. The Browns chose the wrong guy, seeing Baker Mayfield (who they basically said wasn’t a grown up (lol)) advance to the playoffs with the Bucs once again. There are a couple of Seattle boys on the line there as well, and Cedric Tillman could come to life as a downfield threat once again. Divisional matchups against Russ, ladies and gentlemen?

Indianapolis Colts

• This one could make a lot of sense. Indy has a strong tradition of very good offensive line performance (something Geno should covet at this point in his career), stout defense and is chock-full with playmakers. Sounds like the kind of environment that Russell Wilson got at the start of his career! Ok, enough about him, this is #7 we are talking about. Anthony Richardson is physically astounding, but 38 out of 38 qualifying quarterbacks in QB Rating this year. That’s bad, and Shane Steichen is coaching for his job this year… Flacco ain’t gonna cut it.

Las Vegas Raiders

• Edit: Removed the New Orleans Saints here, replacing the Black and Gold of NOLA with the Silver and Black that now colors the desert. Pete Carroll is back and he will rise again! (Ok, maybe a LITTLE TOO CLOSE TO HOME there ) The man known to chew gum, rock Nike Monarchs and find elite DB’s everywhere he goes could look for a little help from one of his “all-time favorite guys“! The new head man of the Raiders is an enjoyer of savvy vet QB’s on cheap deals who can take care of the ball and rally the troops. Or cheap rookies… but the team may be too far off from the top of the draft to go the young route. G-Money rolling the dice down the seams in Sin City could bring some needed excitement to town.

Tennessee Titans

• The Titans finally benched the mayo man, Will Levis. There are a lot of similarities between the offenses and defenses of both Tennesse and Seattle, so the transition could be eased down in Cashville. The Seahawks even conducted joint practices with the Titans this past offseason, getting intimate with an opposing squad in a hostile environment. Coach Callahan brought his POPS in to help fortify the offensive trenches and may prefer a more traditional pocket passer than what he has in Levis.

You don’t want to go to these teams Geno, what can we do to make this thing work for one more year?!

It would be a treat to see Geno Smith back with a commiserate contract. We’ve seen him play at a high level, he can navigate pressure well, he is a respected leader and he’s still hungry. Worst case scenario, if Father Time has him in his clutches and his play sinks next year… maybe you roll with him until the wheels come off and put you in position to draft a young prospect. That or Sam Howell saves the day… J.J. McCarthy? Joe Milton??? One thing is for sure: Seattle won’t be able to properly evaluate the effectiveness of any quarterback until they fix the offensive trenches and blocking schemes.

I was willing to give it another chance when Cleveland got stomped by the Ravens; as Odell Beckham Jr. caught 3 of his 10 targets. In light of that performance, his 4 catch, 74 yard Thursday night is a celebration, right?? Pump all of the brakes and ride slow homie. Most of his production was on one catch for 43 yards. Watching a full Browns game, it still looks like Baker and Beckham Jr. are not in sync. Sorry to kill the vibe ya’ll, but let’s tell it like it is.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe in the talent and ability of OBJ. I also do believe in Baker to be a solid facilitator who can lead an elite team (although my confidence has given way to slight doubt recently). It just doesn’t look like a great fit. Baker had the 3rd highest average time to throw in week 1 (per Next Gen Stats) and was not able to get Odell involved with 10 looks! It seems as if he’s pressing. Did you see the way it seemed like everybody breathed a sigh of relief when OBJ finally caught a deep pass tonight? Bruhhhh these dudes is on edge!! And this was against the Bengals, so we can go ahead and say less.

The Browns don’t need the pressure of taking advantage of an out-of-sync star receiver. They should get back to the ground and pound potential they have with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Those two MASHED tonight. They also have 3 potentially star tight ends. Their defense may thrive with more ball control. Mayfield was at his best in his rookie season when he wasn’t under pressure to make the offense boom. A change in philosophy (and one that Kevin Stefanski is partial to) should absolutely be in order.

Now, Cleveland may keep OBJ around to see if they can capitalize on the strong run game and make him a play-action deep threat this year. I don’t expect it to be a perfect fit. I watched a replay of the Cardinals @ Niners from week 1, and it was apparent that Kyler had the ability to strike at will to DeAndre Hopkins. That connection had the ability to shine and take over a game. D-Hop is an impact player for that team. That’s not the way this feels with Bake to Beckham. Mayfield was spreading the ball all around in his best game in some time. OBJ is an expensive luxury to have in that case.

With cap space an issue across the league (given the uncertainty of revenue for the league during this time in our world), not many teams will be able to make a bold move for Odell and his $14M. The New England Patriots have the 2nd most cap space after the Browns, and have proven that they may be closer to contenders than tankers. That defense is still looking solid. Cam is playing for $1M for a team that people have written off. He is playing without a care in the world, and pressure is not an issue there. Odell and Cam are already friends. This is the year that Bill gets to tinker, so why not? Buffalo went out and got their Cam clone a similar weapon in Stefon Diggs.

Don’t count out the New York Jets (they need to get Darnold help FAST) who are in the city where OBJ played for his first 5 years in the league as a Giant. They lost Jamal Adams and Le’Veon Bell, and look like a mess. you need to find out if Sam Darnold is your guy, or if the kid sees ghosts. Lastly, wouldn’t it be something if The Football Team made a play for the star receiver? Washington is leading their division (!) and Haskins could use another legit receiver across from Scary Terry. Rivera and company would only take that chance if they truly believe in Dwayne, but it would load up OBJ with shots at revenge on the G-Men.

Either way, I expect a testing period this year to give it one last shot to see if it can work with the Browns. If not, there are teams that would love to make a play for a guy that can do things like this. The Browns need to forge a new identity on the ground. Beckham Jr. was acquired by a different administration in Cleveland. His trade to the Browns was exciting, but always felt awkward and forced. We haven’t heard the last of questions about Odell Beckham Jr.’s fit and chemistry with Baker Mayfield in Cleveland. If he has any shot to stick, it will be as a deep play threat off of play-action. I don’t see it fully happening the way that it could pop off elsewhere. Move him for assets at the trade deadline and get a cheaper alternative who meshes with your team ethos. Let’s see how this one plays out!

I’m sitting here, in West L.A., after church on a beautiful Sunday, watching sports highlights at an open-air sports pub, with a peanut butter stout in hand, writing run-on sentences… It’s Mother’s Day, and I’ve reflected, and paid my respects to all of the mother figures in my life. I had a blast with some good friends last night. Life is good. And yet… here I am, about to disturb the peace and step into the fray to defend one Baker Mayfield!