Seahawks' Macdonald: 'Geno's going to be our starter'

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald shut down the idea of a quarterback battle in training camp.

"I don't," Macdonald said when asked if he expects a competition, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. "I've talked to Geno (Smith) about it. Very confident in Geno. Geno's going to be our starter."

The Seahawks acquired former Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell in a trade earlier in March, sparking conversation about a training camp competition.

Howell was drafted in the fifth round in 2022. He went 5-13 in 18 starts for the Commanders over the last two seasons, totaling 4,115 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.

"Sam knows he's going to be our backup, but Sam is a great young player, and he's got a really bright future that we believe in," Macdonald said.

General manager John Schneider said after the Howell trade that Smith would remain the starter.

Seattle restructured Smith's contract in February, creating $4.8 million in cap space for 2024. The 33-year-old is set to carry a $38.5-million cap hit in 2025 but his contract doesn't have any guaranteed money remaining after this season.

Smith took a step back in 2023 after a tremendous 2022 campaign, but he still helped Seattle finish 10th in offensive success rate. He has 7,906 passing yards, 50 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions in two years as the Seahawks' starting signal-caller.