Seattle, WA
Geno on Seattle Seahawks' new-look offense: 'Great things coming'
At this point in his career, learning a new offense certainly isn’t a new thing for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.
Salk’s Observations: What we saw at Seahawks’ first open OTA practice
As he prepares for his 12th season in the NFL and potentially his third as Seattle’s starting QB, the 33-year-old Smith is getting set to play under his seventh different offensive coordinator. The new man in charge is Ryan Grubb, who came across town to join first-year head coach Mike Macdonald’s staff after a success-filled two-year run as the UW Huskies’ offensive coordinator.
The Seahawks are still in the early stages of installing their new offense, but Smith already feels like Grubb’s system is a good match for his skill set.
“I feel like I’m a dropback passer, and I feel like this is a dropback offense – an offense that’s gonna spread the ball around (and) trust the quarterbacks to make the right decisions pre- and post-snap,” Smith said Wednesday after Seattle’s second OTA practice. “And I feel like that’s something that I’m really good at.
“I think Grubb has a great system,” he added. “It demands a lot from the quarterback pre- and post-snap, and he has a great way of giving us some answers. And so the thing we have to do is just be really disciplined with all of our reads, reading our keys, and then obviously getting out there and making the plays when they come about.”
During his time at UW, Grubb oversaw one of the most prolific offenses in college football. Led by Heisman Trophy runner-up quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and a trio of top-100 NFL draft picks at receiver, the Huskies carved up opposing defenses on their way to the College Football Playoff national championship game.
With the Seahawks, Grubb will be tasked with elevating an offense that dropped from 10th in the league in scoring in 2022 to 17th in 2023. A slew of injuries along the offensive line undoubtedly played a major role in the decline last season, but there’s hope that Grubb’s scheme can be a better match for Smith and the talented receiving trio of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
“He’s a really detail-oriented guy,” Macdonald said of Grubb. “He knows exactly what he’s looking for. He’s very precise. As a team, we want clarity in everything we’re doing. We want the guys to know exactly what the expectations are, exactly what’s being asked of them, and he has that. He’s a very clear communicator.”
Smith feels good about where the offense currently stands in the installation process. He said he’s spent a lot of time studying and having meetings with the various offensive position groups.
“I feel like we’re in a really good spot, honestly,” Smith said. “I feel like personally, I have a really good grasp of the offense. I know there’s still things that I have to learn, but from the installs that we’ve done, really sharp with those things.
“I think there’s gonna be great things coming for us,” he added. “… Grubb’s doing a great job, and it’s our job to make the plays come alive and make it all look good.”
Seahawks challenging Geno
After spending six seasons as an NFL backup, Smith resurrected his career in Seattle with a breakout 2022 campaign. Smith received AP Comeback Player of the Year honors that season after leading the NFL in completion rate, finishing seventh in ESPN’s QBR metric and throwing for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Smith’s stats declined last year, while playing behind an injury-depleted offensive line and missing two games himself with a groin injury. His completion rate dropped five percentage points, he fell to 14th in QBR and he threw for 3,624 yards, 20 TDs and nine interceptions. However, he closed the year strong, posting a league-best 81.4 QBR over the final six weeks of the season.
“He’s highly competitive,” Macdonald said. “I love how Geno works. We’re pushing him to take the next step as a football player and as a leader, and I think he’s answering the call. Really excited about Geno, just getting to know him. Just really such a respect for how hard this man works at his craft.”
Geno, Howell building rapport
After acquiring 23-year-old quarterback Sam Howell in a trade with the Washington Commanders in March, the Seahawks now have two quarterbacks on their roster who were full-time starters last year. Howell, a fifth-round draft pick in 2022, started all 17 games for the Commanders last season. He finished 24th in QBR, while throwing for 3,946 yards, 21 TDs and 21 interceptions.
Smith said he and Howell were among about 15 offensive players on the Seahawks who took an offseason trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
“We’ve been hanging out, we went to Cabo, we got some golf in, developing our relationship,” Smith said. “Sam’s a really, really talented young player. He’s played a lot of football (for being) that young. He put a lot of great things on tape. And I think for me, the whole starter-backup thing, I don’t ever wrap my mind around it. The quarterback group has gotta be a collective unit. Whoever goes in the game has gotta have the support of the other guy. So for me, it’s always about us learning and working together and pushing each other together, and that can only provide us with an excellent chance to get better.”
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Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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