Why Seahawks' Geno Smith is excited to work with new OC

Seattle Seahawks veteran quarterback Geno Smith is likely heading into a make-or-break season working with new head coach Mike Macdonald and new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.

Smith sounds excited about what he could become as part of Grubb's offensive scheme.

"Wherever coach Grubb’s been, he’s been just an innovative coach who’s found new ways to attack defenses," Smith explained during a midweek chat with Paul Silvi of KING 5 Seattle, as shared by Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. "He’s always looking for new wrinkles and just helping us gain that edge as an offense. . . . Having a new coordinator, a new system, a new philosophy, just the way that he’s doing things — and some of the plays are plays that we haven’t seen at this level."

Most recently, Grubb served as the offensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies and helped signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. emerge as a first-round draft pick this spring. Some linked Seattle with Penix before the draft, but the Atlanta Falcons ultimately grabbed him with the draft's eighth overall choice.

As for Smith's short-term future, some previously suggested that former Washington Commanders starter Sam Howell could "push" the 33-year-old through the preseason. Lee Vowell of 12th Man Rising noted this week that there currently "is no quarterback controversy" in Seattle, and Smith is spending portions of the summer working on memorizing a new playbook.

"I like to study, and so that’s something that I do on a daily basis, and it does help," Smith said. "Repetition is always going to be the father of learning. For me, it’s just about continuing to do the little things like writing notes, taking detailed notes, and just being on top of it every single day and really paying attention to every single thing that Grubb says and just the way he wants things done."

The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar mentioned that Smith's contract carries a $38.5M salary-cap hit for 2025. Logic suggests Smith could be shown the door early next year unless he plays well enough through this coming January to earn a reworked deal from Seattle.