Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider said Tuesday that Geno Smith is the team's starter "until he's not," the latest in a series of noncommittal comments that have fueled speculation about the quarterback's immediate future.
While speaking to reporters at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, Schneider was asked whether Smith is the team's starter "right now."
"Yeah, I mean, I would think -- yes, he's the starter until he's not," Schneider said before noting that new coach Mike Macdonald and his staff are staying in Seattle to build their schemes on both sides of the ball.
"Really, our coaches aren't down here with us, so basically what we're doing is we're -- we have a vision, we have a plan for what we're doing. Next week, when we get back in the office after kind of learning the landscape down here, talking to all the agents, all the other teams, what we're going to learn throughout the week, kind of coming around the corner next week, getting back with those guys, with the new staff, with Mike's staff in place and then getting our alignment and really asking for patience from all of our players, all of the guys that are free agents and the guys that are still, like, kind of on the team looking to just talk to their position coach. I'm sure those guys are doing that this week. I know some guys have already reached out and everything. But we really just finished up the staff, like, last Thursday or Friday."
Smith, coming off an up-and-down 2023 season, has two years remaining on the three-year, $75 million contract he signed last March. His $12.7 million base salary for next season became fully guaranteed when the Seahawks kept him on their roster past Feb. 16, although it is believed that they would still entertain a possible trade.
The Seahawks own the 16th overall selection, no second-round pick and two third-rounders in April's draft.
Last week, Seattle converted Smith's $9.6 million roster bonus -- which was due March 18 -- into a signing bonus in a move that freed up $4.8 million in 2024 cap space. That conversion means the Seahawks would assume $27 million in dead money if they were to trade Smith, but it also means a new team could acquire him for only $12.9 million next season, which is his base salary plus a $200,000 workout bonus. Smith is set to make a non-guaranteed $25 million in 2025, with another $15 million available in escalators.
Smith posted the NFL's 14th-best Total QBR last season and set an NFL record with seven go-ahead touchdown passes in the fourth quarter or overtime. He also finished with the league's best QBR over the final six weeks. But his overall QBR dropped from seventh in 2022, when he was voted to the Pro Bowl on the initial ballot and won Comeback Player of the Year. Several of his other passing numbers dipped, including touchdown passes (30 to 20) and completion rate (69.8% to 64.7%), although he did throw two fewer interceptions (11 to nine).
Drew Lock, acquired by Schneider from the Denver Broncos in the 2022 Russell Wilson trade, went 1-1 in two fill-in starts for Smith. Lock is scheduled to be a free agent again after returning to Seattle last March on a one-year, $4 million deal.
"We think it's a great room," Schneider told the NFL Network on Tuesday. "Drew's a free agent. But yeah, converting Geno's roster bonus to a signing bonus, we wanted to do that to create some cap room. And with Drew, we'd love to have him back. He's been making progress with us and just had a brand-new baby and loves the area and all that."
In an interview with FOX 13 TV in Seattle that aired last week, Macdonald was asked whether Smith and Lock are both part of the team's future.
"That's a tough question," Macdonald said. "It's one that I probably can't answer right now, but we're doing a lot of work on those guys and I've had conversations just to get to know them, understand who they are as people. ... Right now we're in the phase of figuring out who they are, and obviously one or two or both would fit into our plans moving forward, but right now we probably don't have that answer for you."
ESPN's Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.