Mike Macdonald’s comment on Geno Smith doesn’t inspire confidence on QB’s future

After firing offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, the Seattle Seahawks may not be done making large-scale modifications to their scoring unit.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald appeared on ESPN's Seattle Sports radio show a day after his team missed the playoffs despite finishing with a 10-7 record. He was asked whether the expectation is that starting quarterback Geno Smith will return in 2025, and the response wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement.

"Got no reason to say no, so I guess yeah," Macdonald stated (h/t Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Reading between the lines, the sideline general sounds open to parting ways with Smith if he had a cause.

Mike Macdonald’s comment on Geno Smith doesn’t inspire confidence on QB’s future

Macdonald notably didn't hand-pick Smith as his signal-caller; he inherited him from the prior Seahawks regime. Nevertheless, the latter had another solid year, arguably his best by some metrics. Why is the former ostensibly non-commital after a rather successful inaugural campaign together?

In 2024, Smith broke many single-season Seahawks franchise records he had previously set: Completions (407), attempts (578), passing yards (4,320) and completion percentage (70.4). Moreover, his efforts under center helped Seattle log double-digit victories for the first time since 2020. Even though they didn't make the playoffs, there are several positive takeaways from the early returns of the 34-year-old's partnership with Macdonald thus far.

So, if Macdonald could justifiably move on from Smith, would he? In layman's terms, the former's remarks were far from a vote of confidence. Considering the Seahawks are freshly stepping into this offseason, will they explore replacing the latter, or at least pairing him with an eventual successor?

Smith's age and contractual terms make Seattle a sneaky suitor to draft an early-round quarterback this spring. He's slated for unrestricted free agency in 2026, barring a breakup or the two sides agreeing to restructure his deal. This gives a young passer ample time to sit behind him rather than being thrown into the fire.

Interestingly enough, should they please, Macdonald and the Seahawks can sever ties with Smith this offseason due to a potential out in his contract. However, doing so would leave behind a gaudy $39.7 million dead cap hit.