The Seattle Seahawks have arguably one of the more underappreciated starters at quarterback. Geno Smith, a two-time Pro Bowler and 2022 Comeback Player of the Year, has led Seattle to back to back winning seasons and set an NFL record for five-game winning drives last year. Yet, he still largely goes untalked about on a national level, and when he does, it is often dismissive.
However, there are those who certainly understands the skillset Geno Smith brings to the Seahawks. Current Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales recently sat down with Peter Schrager on his podcast, and naturally Canales’ time in Seattle was brought up. Canales’ meteoric rise to the head coach position began as a quarterbacks coach for the Seahawks. His final season with Seattle was in 2022, where he witnessed the emergence of Smith.
Canales’ comments in full can be seen in the tweet below.
“Nobody throws a prettier ball than Geno Smith…”
Loved my chat with new Panthers HC Dave Canales for this week’s “The Season with Peter Schrager” pod. I thought his appreciation for and relationship with @GenoSmith3 is beyond cool. @gmfb @nflnetwork @NFLMedia pic.twitter.com/bIPvK685LU
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) June 27, 2024
Under Canales’ tutelage, Smith had the best season of his career thus far. His 2022 season saw him pass for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns against only 11 interceptions. His 2023 numbers did take a bit of a hit. Injuries, offensive inconsistencies, and perhaps even the absense of Canales himself (who went on to the be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator) all contributed to Smith’s statistical regression.
Still, Smith has all the physical tools and offensive weapons to forge another strong season. Hopefully, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb can help find a way to get Smith and the offense rolling in a more consistent fashion in 2024.
More Seahawks Wire stories
Is Jeff Bezos finally making a move to buy the Seattle Seahawks?
History is not kind to those who lose their Super Bowl debut
Seahawks named as potential destination for Pats LB Matthew Judon
Seahawks likely to face Jacoby Brissett when they play the Patrio