Mike Macdonald fuels rumors Seahawks could move past Geno Smith

The Seattle Seahawks and Pete Carroll took a chance on Geno Smith to take over as starting quarterback in 2022 when they traded away Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. The gamble paid off, as Smith turned into one of the top quarterbacks in the NFC and led the Seahawks to the playoffs in his first year as the starter when fans and media had little to no expectations for them. But after the 2023 season, there was change in Seattle.

Carroll was no longer head coach, instead pivoting to a front office role. Now Mike Macondald, the former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator. As is the case with any head coaching change, they will want to mold the roster in their image. The quarterback position was seemingly set, with the team informing Smith that they would be keeping him on the roster, fully guaranteeing his salary for 2024. But does that mean he will remain the starter?

During an interview on 93.3 KJR in Seattle, Macdonald was asked if Smith would be his starting quarterback in 2024. Let's just say that Macdonald didn't give a definitive answer to the question. You can view Macdonald's quote in The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar's tweet below:

Mike Macdonald fails to definitively commit to Geno Smith as Seahawks starting QB

This isn't to say that Smith's job as the starter is in danger. Let's not forget that the free agency negotiation window hasn't even opened up yet as of this writing. The 2024 NFL Draft isn't set to take place until Apr. 25-27. The roster is not even set in stone yet. That will be up to Macdonald, his coaching staff, and general manager John Schneider to figure out.

Seattle does need another quarterback. Drew Lock, who led the team to an upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles this past season, is set to be an unrestricted free agent. Considering there is a new offensive coordinator in Ryan Grubb, that means Lock isn't guaranteed a return to Seattle. This offseason, there are quarterbacks like Joe Flacco, Ryan Tannehill, and Joshua Dobbs available.

Then, there's the NFL Draft. The quarterback class this year is particularly deeper than the previous two drafts. While the likes of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels will all be off the board, there are options like Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr., and Spencer Rattler available. Penix would be an obvious target, considering Grubb was his offensive coordinator at Washington.

This past season, Smith played in 15 games, missing two due to a groin injury. Smith threw for 3,624 yards, 20 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while completing 64.7 percent of his passes. Smith made it to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive year.

There is still a lot of offseason left. For now, we'll have to wait and see how the Seahawks roster looks heading into training camp, and from there, we should get an idea as to whether or not Smith will be the starter.