Geno Smith is one of the best stories of the early 2022 season. It feels like ages ago that he battled Drew Lock for the Seattle Seahawks’ starting spot this summer.
It’s safe to say Pete Carroll isn’t making a quarterback change anytime soon. However, he still went out of his way to praise his backup.
During a KIRO-AM radio interview, via The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar, Carroll said Lock is “nipping at [Smith’s] heels.” Without the quote’s full context, the comment perplexed fans who worried the head coach actually felt the quarterback battle remains open.
Carroll was trying to say Lock has kept Smith honest in practice, while potentially also deflecting on endorsing Smith as the team’s long-term answer beyond 2022.
“He’s doing everything we could ask of him right now,” Carroll said. “It’s good, too, that he’s got Drew nipping at his heels every day in practice. Every day in practice, Drew does stuff. He’s got good stuff going right there in support of what Geno does. It just keeps everybody on their toes. It’s the whole thing about competition; it’s good and we like (that) it continues to be this way.”
Carroll also said he has “no doubt” Smith can sustain his early success. That’s a strong endorsement, as the 32-year-old currently leads the NFL in quarterback rating (113.1) and completion percentage (75.2) through five weeks.
So relax, Seahawks fans. There’s no quarterback controversy as long as Smith keeps playing at a Pro Bowl-caliber level.