In the NFL, if your team doesn’t have an identity it is dead in the water, and that is exactly what new Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is looking to avoid in his first season at the helm.
Macdonald said the team “needs to take on its own identity” under the new coaching staff, and all of that starts with what happens under center.
There was plenty of speculation that a quarterback competition would be in the works after the team traded for former Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell, but Macdonald shot that down according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, saying “Geno’s going to be our starter. Sam knows he’s going to be our backup, but Sam is a great young player, and he’s got a really bright future that we believe in.”
Does Mike Macdonald expect a QB competition? “l don’t. I’ve talked to Geno about it. Very confident in Geno. Geno’s going to be our starter. Sam (Howell) knows he’s going to be our backup, but Sam is a great young player, and he’s got a really bright future that we believe in.” https://t.co/qrVRklWtZL
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 23, 2024
Geno Smith has taken over as this team’s starting QB for the past two years and ascended to new heights as he has enjoyed a late-career renaissance in his 30s.
This is noteworthy, as it came out after the Howell trade that he’d have a shot to start in Seattle, but Macdonald has completely shut that down.
Smith is coming off another solid year with 20 touchdown passes and just nine interceptions as he heads into the second year of the 3-year, $75 million extension he signed prior to last season.
Macdonald led a Ravens defense last year that led the league with just 16.5 points per game allowed, while Seattle was one of the worst in the NFL at 23.6 points per game.
Surely that will also play a role in this team’s new identity.
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