When the post-Russell Wilson era begins in Seattle, it will be his former backup, veteran quarterback Geno Smith under center for the Seahawks.
This year, the Seahawks were among a number of teams with a quarterback competition that would be decided during training camp. After the offseason trade that sent Wilson to Denver, the franchise was in search of a new starting quarterback for the first time since 2012, Russell's rookie season in the NFL.
The training camp battle pitted Smith, who served as Wilson's back up in Seattle for each of the last three seasons against Drew Lock, who was acquired from the Broncos as part of the Wilson trade. As the preseason wound down, it became more and more evident that Smith would be QB1, which was confirmed by head coach Pete Carroll following Seattle's preseason finale.
It's @GenoSmith3 time. pic.twitter.com/QjUxkxMnDI
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Why did Geno Smith earn the starting job? Along with his announcement, Carroll provided an idea of the factors that went into the decision.
There were a number of factors at play, but Smith's familiarity with Seattle's offense gave him a clear advantage over Lock.
Smith, who signed with the Seahawks as a free agent in 2019, has three seasons' worth of familiarity under his belt, including three starts in place of an injured Wilson during the 2021 season. Lock, on the other hand, was acquired by the Seahawks in March of 2022 and got his first real reps in the system during OTAs in May.
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Three years of familiarity certainly hold weight over three months of familiarity, a fact Carroll alluded to in his explanation:
Geno, he just knows our stuff, he does really well and understands it and he can manage everything that we're doing, and he's good about the football. He'll give us the best chance to be playing great football right off the bat.
Time was on Smith's side in more ways than one, as Carroll also noted that "(Lock) just ran out of time in making his bid for (the starting job)."
During training camp, a positive COVID test caused Lock to miss practice time and a scheduled preseason start, setting him back in the competition. Ultimately, that setback was too much for Lock to overcome.
While Lock won't get the start in Week 1, Carroll made sure to vouch for the 25-year-old with a few votes of confidence:
He's got all kinds of stuff in him, and I want him to be ready at a moment's call. He's going to keep growing and pushing and developing as a fantastic player. I have no problem playing with him too. We're fortunate to have two guys who can go. When comes off the bench, if he gets his chance, he'll be ready to go and try to light it up.
For a Seahawks team projected to finish at the bottom of the league, don't be surprised if Lock ends up getting some starts during the 2022 season.