A new era has begun in Seattle this year. The Seahawks have parted ways with longtime quarterback Russell Wilson, who will take his talents to Denver hoping to find immediate success with the Broncos.
Trading the quarterback who won the team's first ever Super Bowl may have quite painful, but at least they received another signal-caller in return. The Broncos started Teddy Bridgewater over Drew Lock last year, but he has experience as starter.
However, Lock is once again facing a challenging offseason with his new team, given that the Seahawks re-signed Geno Smith this year. Besides, Smith seems to have the upper hand in the battle for the job right now.
Geno Smith leads race for Seahawks QB job
Smith has been in Seattle for two years, which explains why the coaching staff lean towards him for now. He took part in four games in 2021 - three of them as starter - throwing for 702 yards, 5 touchdowns and one interception.
“Right now, Geno has done such a good job of carrying over (the offensive principles from 2021). He already had a head start over Drew right there,” Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said on KJR, per The News Tribune's Gregg Bell. “We have a long time to go. We are just in T-shirts and shorts right now, going against air. We have a long way to go to see where this competition (goes).
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said something similar a few weeks ago, claiming that Geno is "obviously ahead" right now because he's been with them for longer. But Carroll was also full of praise for Lock, claiming that he would have been the first pick of the 2022 QB class. Waldron made sure to praise him as well.
“Drew has a good, calm presence in the huddle out there, (things) we saw in the last three games of his rookie year,” Waldron added. “The thing I like about Drew is, really, his ability to make every throw on the field. The way he moves and he changes his arm angle and doesn’t have to be just a (static) pocket passer out there.”
Lock is facing a huge opportunity to prove he can be a reliable starter in the NFL, but once again, he won't have it easy. Carroll suggested the team will not add a quarterback this year, although the Baker Mayfield rumors resurfaced this week. Only time will tell who will take over for Wilson.
