New Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is not naming Geno Smith as the starting quarterback.
Macdonald was asked on KJR whether he has made up his mind about the Seahawks’ starter for 2024 and gave a long answer that emphasized that the Seahawks will always look to improve.
“The first thing that I want you to know, and everybody to know, is that as an organization we’re always looking, we’re always trying to figure out what’s best for the team all the time,” Macdonald said, via Michael-Shawn Dugar of TheAthletic.com. “We’re always going to try to make the best decisions for the team. I’m excited for Geno to come in here and start playing and start working and meet coach – I mean, he’s met Coach Grubb – but to get with Ryan and get with [QB coach] Charles [London] and to go to work. I don’t want you to feel like I’m dodging this answer but that’s what I’m excited about, for him to come in here and start to build this team the way we envision building it. And the only way to do that is to go to work with it. That’s what I’m focused on, man. As opportunities come throughout the whole team, and quarterback position included, I guess you could say because that’s the value system that we’re living by here. I’m just excited for him to get here April 8th and go to work on our ’24 season.”
Smith’s contract makes it highly unlikely that the Seahawks would cut or trade him, as that would cost more against the salary cap than keeping him on the team. But Macdonald sounds very open to the possibility of bringing in a quarterback through the draft, free agency or a trade, and letting that quarterback compete with Smith for the starting job.