Though it remains debatable whether he has received enough attention for his efforts outside of the Pacific Northwest, few players have penned a better story than Geno Smith has over the past two seasons since taking over for Russell Wilson as the Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback.
Since beating out then-backup Drew Lock before the 2022 season, Smith has stacked up well against his peers statistically, ranking sixth in passing yards, fourth in completion rate, sixth in touchdown passes, and first in game-winning drives. Along with being named Comeback Player of the Year for Seattle in 2022, he has been selected to the Pro Bowl team each of the past two years and even got an MVP vote, embarking on a turnaround rarely seen by quarterbacks in the NFL.
Several factors played into Smith's career renaissance stepping into Wilson's former stead with the Seahawks, including a talented receiving corps headlined by DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett at his disposal. But while his supporting case on the field deserves plenty of credit, his ascendance to a top-10 caliber quarterback likely wouldn't have happened without the presence of former assistant and current Panthers head coach Dave Canales.
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Speaking with host Peter Schrager on “The Season with Peter Schrager” podcast, Canales reflected on his rapid rise from quarterback coach to head coach, including his final season in Seattle when he helped Smith orchestrate his historic breakout. Two years later, while most may not have seen the veteran's unexpected rebirth coming, he saw enough working with him as an understudy to Wilson for a couple years that he wasn't surprised by Smith's immense success.
"There were some little things that he cleaned up from a technical standpoint, but I mean, the guy was like 78 percent completion in his first camp with the Seahawks," Canales told Schrager. "So he clearly was a veteran, he knew where the ball was supposed to go. No one throws a prettier ball than Geno Smith. It spins tight, he's accurate. He's got the right amount of zip, but he's got touch. All those things were there, but we had Russ, so you don't even take your brain there immediately."
Smith bided his time behind Wilson for two seasons, seeing just five pass attempts in 2019 and 2020 behind the durable superstar. But then, Wilson's hand hit Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald's helmet during a Thursday night game and he exited with broken finger that required surgery, forcing his backup into action.
Despite coming up just short, Smith impressed by nearly pulling off a comeback against the Rams, throwing a touchdown pass to DK Metcalf and leading a second field goal drive. Starting the next three games, he threw four touchdowns and just one interception, earning the trust of former coach Pete Carroll and his staff.
The following March, in a move that sent shockwaves throughout the NFL, Seattle dealt the disgruntled Wilson to Denver in exchange for two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, and three veteran players. Seizing his opportunity under Canales' tutelage, Smith handily beat out Lock to become a Week 1 starter for the first time since his second season with the Jets and didn't look back, throwing 30 touchdown passes and guiding the Seahawks to a wild card berth.
"Just the celebration of a couple years of work, of conversations, of Geno saying 'I know I've still got it, once I get a chance, this is how I'm gonna do it.,'" Canales said of Smith's improbable journey. "He was forward thinking with his words, he had a lot of belief in his own ability and talent, and so as I come along, really I was there throughout the whole process and once I get Geno, I was just there to maintain and reinforce."
Rewarded for his fantastic work with Smith, Canales became a sought after offensive coordinator candidate, eventually accepting the position with the Buccaneers. Working similar magic with Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay, the quarterback whisperer lasted just one season before being tabbed as Carolina's new head coach in January, engineering his own meteoric rise.
As for Smith, even though he wasn't quite able to replicate his 2022 numbers with Greg Olson taking over as quarterback coach last year, he still tossed 20 touchdowns and led the league with five game-winning drives, demonstrating an elite clutch gene in tight games for the Seahawks. He also led Seattle to another nine win campaign despite injuries ravaging the offensive line and the lack of a consistent run game to complement him and his receivers.
Playing with as much confidence as he's ever had as the Seahawks undisputed starter, Smith looks poised for another strong season linking up with new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who transformed Washington into one of college football's most potent offenses over the past two years. Armed with a dynamic stable of skill players such as Metcalf, Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Canales will be watching closely from afar and expects nothing less than for the veteran to continue his resurgence.
