The Seattle Seahawks had reason to be nervous after head coach Mike MacDonald revealed on Thursday that quarterback Geno Smith was set to undergo testing on knee and hip injuries.
Those issues had forced Smith to miss consecutive training camp practices, with MacDonald's update raising the specter of his starting quarterback missing valuable practice time as the Seahawks adapt to a new offense under coordinator Ryan Grubb.
But ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Friday that the tests did not reveal any significant injuries and that Smith is not expected to miss any time.
The Seahawks may still allow Smith some additional rest after being, in the words of MacDonald, "banged up" in Tuesday's training camp practice. However, the results of the tests ensure he will get ample preparation to be in the best position possible to hit the ground running in Grubb's pass-heavy attack, which should suit a quarterback who divides opinion among some despite two seasons of largely impressive play for Seattle.
Per rbsdm.com , Smith was 11th in completion percentage over expectation last season. On pass attempts of 20 yards or more, only Trevor Lawrence (31) had more big-time throws than Smith (26).
Had Smith suffered an injury that required him to miss any significant time, the Seahawks may have been forced to start Sam Howell at quarterback.
Howell has the traits to excel at the highest level and had nearly 4,000 passing yards last season, yet he also threw as many interceptions as touchdowns (21) and suffered the most sacks in the league (65) behind a dreadful Washington Commanders offensive line.
The Seahawks made it clear they believe in Howell when they traded multiple draft picks to acquire him. While Seattle has a much better support system in place for a young quarterback, Howell playing behind a Seahawks offensive line that still has several question-marks would have been a clear downgrade from Smith.
But, for now, the Seahawks don't have to worry about that, with Seattle free to breathe a huge sigh of relief.
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