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The Seattle Seahawks are likely to sign quarterback Geno Smith to an extension in the next week or so. He is probably going to be QB1 for the next few years. Still, he has not yet signed, and that means anything is possible. Plus, backup Sam Howell has no guaranteed salary for 2025, and releasing him would cost the team nothing.
The question about Seattle's quarterback position isn't about the now, though. It is about the future. Smith could sign an extension, but that does not mean, based on how the contract is structured, that Smith will be the starter in three seasons. If the Seahawks do not believe Howell is any kind of longer-term answer as QB1 or QB2, then the team should replace him.
A move like that could mean Seattle takes a quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft who is under contract for at least four years. Should Seattle take Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, for instance, in the first round, Seattle would have a fifth-year option, which could make Dart a Seahawk through 2029. That would allow him time to develop under Geno Smith but also be Seattle's starter for a few years.
Could Jaxson Dart be the future long-term quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks?
Dart was one of the players that Seattle reportedly spoke with at the NFL Combine. Clearly, there is an interest by general manager John Schneider in Dart. There appears to be a lot of growing interest around the league in Dart, though. Quarterbacks tend to be over-drafted at times because of the importance of the position, and most pundits seemingly thought two QBs could go in the first round in 2025.
Those two quarterbacks are Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. But after how well Dart interviewed at the combine and how well he performed, he is apparently climbing draft boards. If Seattle wants him, then the team might need to use a first-round choice on him. That is how the quarterback position works. They are viewed on a different pedestal than other positions.
Seattle currently chooses at number 18 overall, and while the team has needs along the interior of the offensive line, Schneider might decide to wait until later rounds to address that need. Nothing would be surprising with a Schneider draft.
Dart also has a great reputation as a leader and one who keeps his poise no matter how badly things might be going. His trying to win over the locker room should not be an issue. He is a likeable guy and wants to win. That is important.
If Dart is a Seahawk in 2025, he likely has replaced Howell and is Geno Smith's backup. How long that lasts is anyone's guess, though. Maybe a year or maybe two. Perhaps in Dart's third season in the NFL, he is QB1. If John Schneider sees him as the future quarterback of the franchise, Dart could easily be Seattle's first choice in the 2025 NFL draft.
