Contract talks between Geno Smith and the Seahawks have begun, and the quarterback is optimistic that the two sides will ultimately reach a deal. During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Smith said the chances of an extension are “looking very good.”
“We’ve had talks and we’re in the process of getting all that settled right now,” Smith said, via ESPN’s Brady Henderson. “It’s looking very good. We think we can get some things done, but obviously those things take time. This is the process that I hate about the NFL because I just want to play football, but it’s a business as well, so we’ve got to take care of business and then we’ll get back to the football.”
Both sides have expressed optimism that they’d ultimately agree to an extension. As Henderson points out, head coach Pete Carroll has continually expressed his interest in bringing back Smith. However, the head coach hasn’t gone as far as to declare it would happen — a factor that’s somewhat relevant when you consider that the Seahawks could always slap the impending free-agent QB with the franchise tag.
Smith ended up making about $7M this past season thanks to incentives. During a separate appearance on the “The Pivot Podcast,” the quarterback wouldn’t reveal what he’s specifically looking for in a new contract, just noting that he wants to be paid what he’s worth.
“I love Seattle,” Smith said, via Henderson. “We have a great relationship and I think we’ll work things out. When it comes to contracts, I think every player just wants to get paid his worth. And it’s funny because a great friend of mine tells me, no matter what check they write, it’ll never be your worth because your worth isn’t in money, it isn’t in monetary things. So you just want to be respected. Your contract just wants to say, we respect you, we understand what you bring to the table, we understand what caliber of player you are, and we appreciate you. That’s really all it comes down to.”
Smith had a breakout campaign during his age-32 season, resulting in his first career Pro Bowl nod. He helped guide the Seahawks to a 9-8 record while completing a league-leading 69.8 percent of his passes for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
