Geno Smith has always been underappreciated. In his three seasons in Seattle he was one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL, and had some of the best numbers in the NFL when throwing the ball deep. Geno turned a Seahawks team that was very underwhelming — especially the offensive line — into a playoff contender multiple times.
Pete Carroll obviously has the utmost belief in his starting quarterback — if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have traded for him in the offseason — but it is safe to say that is not the consensus among his counterparts in the NFL. Raiders Wire writer Justin Melo dissects what a panel full of GMs, coaches and executives think about Geno Smith in comparison to other starting quarterbacks in the NFL:
“Smith has been as advertised at training camp. The veteran quarterback has routinely diced the Raiders defense at practice. Smith has been accurate and explosive. It’s nice to see the Raiders have a high-caliber quarterback in the backfield again. The Athletic recently released their annual quarterback rankings. Mike Sando puts together the list with the help of a 50-person panel, including six NFL GMs, eight head coaches, and 15 coordinators. Smith ranked No. 19 overall, as a third-tier quarterback just behind Aaron Rodgers, Tua Tagovailoa, and Trevor Lawrence.
“Smith feels a little underappreciated here. The aging Rodgers is coming off an extremely disappointing tenure with the New York Jets. Tagovailoa is an oft-injured quarterback, and Trevor Lawrence is coming off another major down year that resulted in his HC getting fired. Smith is ranked ahead of Sam Darnold (No. 20), who the Seahawks replaced him with this offseason. The Raiders have been thrilled with Smith’s performance and approach this offseason. He could place higher on this list next August.”
Geno Smith’s body of work and what he has been able to achieve in Seattle deserve more than being placed as the 19th-best quarterback in the NFL, a third-tier quarterback. Soon to be 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers did nothing better than Geno Smith last season. Neither did a struggling Trevor Lawrence, who is still trying to recreate the magic of the 2022 season.
Geno Smith is entering in a new situation with a game changer at running back (Ashton Jeanty), multiple weapons to throw the ball to (including the new best tight end in football, Brock Bowers), and arguably a better offensive line than he had in Seattle. We could see a breakout season from Geno Smith. By putting up another 4,000-yard passing season while leading the Raiders to the playoffs, critics would have no choice but to reevaluate him and view him as a top quarterback in the NFL.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Pete Carroll’s starting quarterback gets disrespected in preseason NFL rankings
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
