:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71285070/1415855178.0.jpg "Geno Smith leads Seahawks QB battle: Drew Lock QB2 going into Week 3 preseason")
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has said that Geno Smith is the “number-one guy,” per Gregg Bell. The Seahawks had a quarterback battle in the preseason as they traded away veteran Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos in the offseason. Carroll remarked that Smith has been the guy the whole time and that he has held on to the starting spot. Smith will start the Seahawks' final preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Friday, August 26.
Smith has been in the league for eight years. He was drafted out of West Virginia in the second round by the New York Jets. Smith was the starting quarterback for two seasons and has been a backup ever since. Once his rookie deal ran out, Smith played for the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Chargers before remaining a free agent for the 2019 season. In 2020 he landed on his feet in Seattle, and in 2021 he started four games after Wilson went down with an injury. He completed 68.4% of his passes for 702 yards and five touchdowns with only one interception.
Assuming that Smith gets through this game healthy, he looks to be the starting quarterback as the Seahawks open up the regular season. They will see a familiar face in Week 1 as they host the Denver Broncos on Monday, September 12.