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THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: What does Geno's future hold in Seattle

| January 29, 2025 1:15 AM

Question time for Seahawks fans.

Do you believe Seattle can win the Super Bowl with Geno Smith at quarterback?

If not, what would you do about it?

Become a soccer junkie?

All kidding aside, whatever happens with the Hawks’ quarterback position will cast a long shadow over the club’s success — or lack of it — for at least the next few years.

Whether you have faith in Geno or not, it’s a cinch that his future in Seattle was a major topic in conversations between coach Mike Macdonald and his new offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak.

Kubiak comes from the school of Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers coach who has become something of an offensive scheming guru.

Shanahan isn’t a teacher of any particular way to move the football, not in the way the late Bill Walsh basically pioneered the West Coast offense.

Kubiak finds himself joining the Seahawks at a rather unique time.

Macdonald seems to have positioned the defense to be competitive, so the next item on his checklist will be moving the necessary pieces — Kubiak hopefully being a key one — in order to oil up a very creaky offense.

And get it firing.


HAVE YOU been watching the NFL playoffs?

The two quarterbacks headed to the Super Bowl — Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts — are wonderful passers who can also do serious damage with their legs.

Mahomes isn’t known as a runner, but he rumbled for two touchdowns in Kansas City’s 32-29 victory over the Bills, and scooted for some critical first downs.

Some of Mahomes’ big runs came on option plays that had set up running back Kareem Hunt.

Now, the Chiefs don’t like to put their franchise QB in harm’s way if they can help it.

But.

“I watched the defensive end when (Hunt) ran it, and he was crashing down,” Mahomes said.

“I pulled the ball and kept it on a couple of big plays, because we’re in the playoffs now.

“On the second (rushing) touchdown, I knew I was going to get hit at the goal line.

“I just closed my eyes and lowered my shoulder.”

The Eagles’ Hurts has been a damaging runner all along, just like the two quarterbacks who were eliminated in the conference title games — the Bills’ Josh Allen and Washington’s breathtaking rookie, Jayden Daniels.

In the AFC round before that, you found Lamar Jackson of the Ravens and Houston’s C.J. Stroud.

These guys could be running backs.

The only quarterbacks who advanced in these playoffs who aren’t legitimate threats to run were knocked out in NFC divisional play: L.A.’s Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff of Detroit.

What happens when a quarterback can run?

Philly beat the Rams 28-22 in the snow, with the fantastic Saquon Barkley busting two long runs and racking up 205 yards overall.

L.A.’s attempts to stop Barkley created space for Hurts, who ran for 70 yards and a TD on seven carries.

Then Washington sold out to stop the run in the NFC title game, and Hurts threw for 246 yards as the Eagles cruised 55-23.


CAN YOU picture Geno Smith in these playoff scenarios?

Seriously?

Look, I don’t know where Macdonald and GM John Schneider are going to find their next quarterback, but they have to unearth one soon.

Geno is not the answer, and the finances involved make the situation even worse.

He’s coming up on the final season of a three-year, $75 million deal — but with no money guaranteed for 2025.

There’s also a salary cap problem, with the Seahawks having to eat a $44.5 million cap hit this year if Geno is the quarterback.

He’s 34, he’s sturdy in the pocket but hardly a running or option threat, and on top of that, the money doesn’t work on his end, either.

Geno wants a new, multi-year deal, and I can’t imagine the Hawks want to get tied down with the going rate, which (even on the mid-to-low end) would be $40-50 million per season.

The money doesn’t work out, and neither does Geno’s game.

Kubiak has already said he wants to lean on a running game, which sounds great — except that Seattle needs at least two new linemen just to think about it.

It would be a HUGE advantage to a new coordinator if he had a mobile quarterback who could handle some designed runs and explode for 20-25 yards when bolting out of the pocket.

Geno Smith is not the right fit for the Seahawks’ future.

In so many ways, he’s just not.


Email: scameron@cdapress.com


Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”