Last season, veteran quarterback Geno Smith resurrected his career after taking over for superstar Russell Wilson, who the Seattle Seahawks traded to the Denver Broncos in a blockbuster deal.
Although most people had written off Smith and labeled him a career backup in the NFL, the veteran gunslinger continued to work hard and embraced the opportunity to take over for arguably the best quarterback in Seahawks history.
Ultimately, Smith earned a Pro Bowl selection for the first time in his NFL career and as a result, was offered a lucrative contract extension worth $75 million over three years with $40 million guaranteed, which he signed to remain the starter in Seattle.
On a recent appearance on The Richard Sherman Podcast, Sherman asked Smith what he learned from Wilson during their time together as teammates in Seattle.
"His unwavering belief in himself, in his routine, the way he works every single day"
—@GenoSmith3 tells @RSherman_25 what he learned from Russell Wilson pic.twitter.com/aSEL5LLkxG
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) April 25, 2023
Unfortunately for Wilson, the opposite happened for the nine-time Pro Bowler, as he struggled in his first season with the Broncos and appeared to have lost a step in the process.
Despite Wilson’s shortcomings in Denver, the lessons Smith learned from Wilson paid off for the veteran quarterback, who has played exceptionally well, filling the void left by the one-time Super Bowl champion.
In 17 games for the Seahawks in 2022, Smith passed for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while rushing for 366 yards and a touchdown for Seattle.
It’ll be interesting to see if Smith can continue to put the knowledge he learned from Wilson to work in 2023 to keep the Seahawks competitive and a force to be reckoned with in the NFC.
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