The 30 best NFL players set to become free agents in 2023
By Ryan Heckman
30 best NFL free agents in 2023: Geno Smith, QB
This is now how the Seattle Seahawks season was supposed to go. The team traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos and most assumed that Seattle would be a dumpster fire with some outlets even projecting them to be the worst team in football. Meanwhile, the opposite has happened.
Denver is one of the worst teams in the league, and Seattle is part of the NFC playoff picture. Somehow, they’ve managed to play respectable and competitive football, and it’s been Geno Smith leading the charge.
In a quarterback-driven league, Smith has proven to be more than capable of starting. Even when many thought it would be Drew Lock, Smith stepped up and earned the job — and he’s kept it.
Through Week 15, Smith had thrown for 3,671 yards, 26 touchdowns and only eight picks. He’s earned the highest passer rating of his career, this season, at 105.3 and holds a QBR of 63.9 — also a career-best.
In next year’s draft, there are two premier quarterbacks — maybe we’ll see three when it’s all said and done. Smith could very well be a bridge guy for one of those teams, and he’d do an admirable job in a role like that. There aren’t many guys more humble and full of leadership qualities like we’ve seen from Smith this year, either. He’s going to be a valuable pickup in free agency.