National Football League

Geno Smith has early lead over Drew Lock in Seahawks' QB race

Published Jun. 3, 2022 8:12 p.m. ET

The security of the Seattle Seahawks' quarterback position is about as sturdy as a house of cards.

The squad is currently playing roulette with its slew of unproven signal-callers and is hoping to pull an ace from its deck, as opposed to striking out with an unwanted joker.

Three men — Geno Smith, Drew Lock and Jacob Eason — currently man the team's quarterback room, but their résumés could very well drive the squad's front office to seek outside help via trade.

Jimmy Garoppolo is one of the names that has been floated in the hypothetical rumor mill. Baker Mayfield is another. But according to Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, each QB currently on the roster will have a chance to prove his mettle.

"[They're all] trying to demonstrate that leadership ability, whether it's in the meetings, whether it's out on the field, and they're doing a great job of really embracing the competition amongst themselves," Waldron said, via John Boyle of Seahawks.com on the ongoing QB competition. "Where they're pushing each other to do a better job every single day."

The deciding factor for who wins the job might simply come down to whom the staff trusts the most.

"Really just the overall command of the position, who gives us the best chance to win games when it comes to the fall," Waldron said. "And right now, it's just a good learning [opportunity] where this time of year where we're in T-shirts and shorts for them to really build that foundation where they can go into training camp and put themselves in the best positions to compete."

Despite the open nature of the tug-of-war, Smith is currently out in front. According to Waldron and coach Pete Carroll, he's been the man taking first-team snaps during OTAs. That's due in large part to his experience within the system and familiarity with Seattle's playbook.

"Those are just going to be constant conversations as we move forward here, finishing up the offseason and getting into training camp, and then it's something we'll sit down and discuss exactly how we want to balance out reps, or to give reps to different guys with different people around," Waldron said.

Carroll has noted more than once that the first-team reps will be more evenly distributed in training camp and the preseason. It's an initiative Waldron has been working to implement already.

"The good thing about this time of year is, we've really tried to do a good job, we've had the ones and twos, so to speak going, but we've had a lot of mixing and matching of different guys getting their chances, not just at the quarterback position, but all throughout our offense," the second-year OC said. "So everyone can have that chance to be with the first group, and get a chance to go with the second group, and mix and match with different people and different teammates throughout the course of the practice."

A nine-year vet, Smith has been in Seattle the past two seasons. He started three games last season after Russell Wilson went down with a finger injury, going 1-2. Smith passed for 702 yards on a 68.4% completion clip (65-for-95) to go with five TDs and one INT in four total appearances.

Lock arrived in the Emerald City from Denver as part of the Wilson deal. After being beaten out by Teddy Bridgewater, the 25-year-old started three games for Denver last season and appeared in six total. He went 0-3 in his starts and passed for 787 yards (67-for-111, 60.4%), along with two TDs and two INTs. Eason appeared in just one game in 2021 for the Colts, completing two of his five pass attempts for 25 yards.

The trio's numbers aren't laudatory by any stretch, but Seattle remains confident that one of its QBs can take the reins of its offense. And if the current QB lineup doesn't suffice, the trade market remains a viable option.