Former West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith is entering his 11th season in the NFL as he looks to keep improving in his career.
Smith played at WVU from 2009-2012 and was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. In his rookie year, he threw for a little over 3,00 yards with 12 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in 16 games, adding six more touchdowns on the ground.
In the 2014 season, Smith threw fewer interceptions and one more touchdown, evening out his touchdown-to-interception ratio at 13-13 in 14 games. After that, he was never given the same opportunity to start for quite some time. He spent two more seasons with the Jets, then a season with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers, before landing with the Seattle Seahawks in 2020 as Super Bowl-winning QB Russell Wilson’s backup.
When Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos before the 2022 season, Smith had an opportunity to win the starting job for Seattle and he did over Drew Lock, whom the Seahawks acquired from Denver. Smith found a career resurgence and had the best stats of his career. In 2022, he threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns, while throwing just 11 interceptions, leading Seattle to an NFC Wildcard Appearance.
Smith was named Comeback Player of the Year as well as to his first Pro Bowl after the 2022 season. He earned a three-year $105 million contract extension before the 2023 season and in the 2023 season, he kept his starting job and continued to play well for the Seahawks being named to his second-straight Pro Bowl.
Now, Smith is heading into his 11th NFL season and will play under new head coach Mike Macdonald and his staff. Seattle went out and traded for former Washington Commanders starting QB Sam Howell this offseason, but Smith will likely keep his job and have a chance to put up another successful season.
