Chances are that the Seattle Seahawks are going to stick with Geno Smith at quarterback for at least through 2025. He is signed through next year, and even though his cap hit is $38.5 million, that is not as expensive as more than 10 other QBs. Smith has made red zone errors this year, sure, but so would a rookie starter next year.
Still, the issue for the team is that it has negative cap room heading into the offseason so some players under contract will need to be released. This will almost definitely include edge rusher Dre'Mont Jones who has underperformed since he was signed as a free agent in 2023. Wide receiver Tyler Lockett might also be a tough roster cut.
Smith, though, would bring the biggest savings if he is released. $25 million, in fact. That might be too much to pass up for a team that might not be sure the quarterback is the long-term answer for QB1 duties, and a team that might be willing to still do some rebuilding. If the Seahawks do move on from Smith, the team's next quarterback could be one playing in the Senior Bowl.
The Seattle Seahawks future quarterback could be one playing at the 2025 Senior Bowl
To be sure, there are not nearly as many first-round worthy QBs in the 2025 draft as there were in 2024 when six quarterbacks were taken in round one. There might be only one or two QBs worth choosing as early this year, and one of those, Miami's Cam Ward, isn't at the Senior Bowl.
The quarterbacks that are expected to be there are Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Ole Miss's Jaxson Dart, Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, Notre Dame's Riley Leonard, Ohio State's Will Howard, and Louisville's Tyler Shough. Of those, Milroe is probably the quarterback that goes the highest.
All of them have flaws, however. Milroe has a great arm and athletic ability, be he has inconsistent accuracy and makes poor decisions at times. He should not be a year-one starter in the NFL.
Dart would need the right system to even have a chance to be good. The same goes for Riley. Howard and Gabriel are more of a product of their college systems than highly productive quarterbacks on their own.
None of that means that general manager John Schneider won't see the potential in one of the QBs when he and the scouting department travel to Mobile, Alabama the week ahead of the February 1 game. Schneider has the final say over all roster moves so if he wants to take one of the Senior Bowl quarterbacks, he will.
In fact, if Schneider decides to take a chance on one of them then that probably means Geno Smith sticks around for another year while the rookie quarterback sits and learns. Ultimately, Seattle's starting quarterback in 2026 and beyond could be one from the Senior Bowl.
