Geno Smith: 'I'm still getting better'
Geno Smith has claimed back-to-back Pro Bowl nods and is entering his 12th NFL season, but the Seattle Seahawks quarterback doesn't think he's reached his full potential yet.
"I'm still getting better," Smith said, according to team reporter John Boyle. "I've made leaps and bounds physically, I'm still getting stronger at my age. I don't know if that's rare or not, but that's something I'm doing. I've gotten faster, I don't think I've ever thrown the ball as good as I am right now. I'm in a really good place, just accuracy-wise, and I can throw the ball farther than I ever have. That's the reason why I think I can still improve, because I work hard and I push myself, and I'm seeing the improvements within myself."
In 2022, Smith had one of the NFL's greatest comeback stories by earning a Pro Bowl berth in Year 10. The 33-year-old, who began his career with the New York Jets as a second-round pick in 2013, had passed for only 34 career touchdowns before his first All-Star campaign.
Since becoming Seattle's starter two years ago, the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year has posted a 17-15 record. His 67.4% completion rate ranks second in the NFL over the last two seasons behind only Dak Prescott (68.2) and Joe Burrow (67.8).
"The outside noise never bothered me and never will; I know internally what I can do, and I know I'm still not a finished product," Smith said.
The Seahawks made significant off-field changes this year. They hired first-year head coach Mike Macdonald, who put together a coaching staff featuring new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
Grubb doesn't have NFL experience but is coming off two successful years in college football coordinating Washington's offense, but he's still an exciting addition to Smith. The veteran passer thinks the new OC can help him elevate his game to an even greater level.
"Wherever coach Grubb's been, he's been just an innovative coach who's found new ways to attack defenses," Smith recently told KING 5's Paul Silvi. "He's always looking for new wrinkles and just helping us gain that edge as an offense. Just having a new coordinator, a new system, a new philosophy, just the way that he's doing things - and some of the plays are plays that we haven't seen at this level."
Seattle's offensive unit ranked ninth in total points and 13th in yards in 2022 but regressed last year, placing 17th and 21st, respectively, in those categories.