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It’s no secret that Seahawks quarterback Genno Smith was one of the NFL’s greatest surprises in 2022.
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The 10-year pro was a full-time starter for the first time since 2014, led the NFL in completion percentage, and was in the top eight in both yards and touchdown passes. It was a year that began with many pegging him as one of the worst starting QBs in the league, earning Smith Pro Bowl honors.
Smith’s 2022 season was a “pleasant surprise” for NFL Network and NFL.com analyst Mark Ross, a former longtime NFL executive and scout. In fact, Ross was a member of the New York Giants when Smith was backing them up in 2017.
Ross joined Bump and Stacey at the Seattle Sports 710 AM to discuss Smith’s 2022 season, his emergence as a Pro Bowl starter, and his overall history in the league.
“Gino always treated himself with class, so when I saw him succeed this year, I was really happy for him,” Ross said. “And it wasn’t a fluke. In the first few games, you’d be like, ‘Oh, he’s going to be okay,’ but he kept it up all season and played really well, so I’m going to give him a shot.” Is pleased.
Where will Smith ultimately rank among NFL quarterbacks?
“When you look at Geno and the landscape of the NFL hierarchy of quarterbacks, he’s not in the top tier, but the way he’s played this year, he’s sort of next in that group, so hopefully he’s. “We can keep it up,” Ross said. “Seattle really hit gold with getting him there.”
Being in that “next group” should certainly pay off for Smith, with Ross recently telling NFL.com that Smith is 10 people ready to make big bucks this offseason. wrote that he was one of the players of
Ross has clearly had his eye on Smith for a long time, but what does he think of what happened to his career path and the 2013 second-round pick?
“What happened with the Jets got Geno lost and he bounced back, but the guy was talented,” he said. Talent, he had a living arm, he was athletic, there were a few other factors that held him back but the way he grew, matured and turned pro. And I think once you got into a stable system (with the Seahawks) you actually had a lasting chance of (success) – not just inside or out – that he really thrived. All his talent combined with his stability is that people believe in him and give him a chance.”
Not everyone can be a great NFL quarterback, said Ross, who said he needed a “great base of talent to get started.”
And Geno really thrived on the maturity and professionalism and the natural talent he had with a coaching system that trusted him,” Ross said.
Smith started his second season with the Jets as a rookie, but he and the team struggled, spending many years as an NFL backup before his 2022 career year. Too early, especially considering Smith was backing up for seven years before becoming a Pro Bowler last season.
“Some quarterbacks are going to be bad no matter where they are. They either[get it wrong]or they don’t have the talent to do it.” Gino had the talent we’ve seen this year. The good things he’s done this year have always been in him.”
Unfortunately for Smith, his situation with the Jets in the beginning of his career wasn’t great, Ross said.
“The Jets situation has been nothing but a debacle for coaching and teammates from the start, and even part of it, Geno will probably admit he was unprepared to step into the role. And New York is a tough place,” he said. “I’ve been with the Giants for 11 years and it’s a tough place. And as you can still see with the Jets, they got the #2 guy (Zach Wilson overall) and he’s struggling. So, It’s a really tough place and not every quarterback succeeds…not everyone succeeds, but Geno had the foundation and the talent to do it.”
Listen to the full conversation with Ross at this link or in the player below.
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