Geno Smith’s “Great Story” Of A Season Ends In Wild Card Loss; He & Seahawks Hope To Continue It Next Season

“To me you are solely pretty much as good as your final recreation, so that is the one which’s going to sting us for your entire offseason,” Smith mentioned. “It may inspire me on daily basis I get up to go to exercises. I am going to consider this rather a lot, as a result of it hurts that dangerous. I wish to hold enjoying.”

However even when Smith wasn’t desirous to pat himself on the again for an incredible season so quickly after a loss, his head coach was greater than prepared to reward his quarterback’s comeback story. Getting an opportunity to compete for a beginning job for the primary time in eight years, Smith gained the job in camp, led the Seahawks to the playoffs whereas breaking a number of franchise passing data, led the NFL in completion share, and was chosen to his first Professional Bowl.

“He is for actual,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll mentioned. “Geno is the true deal. He can do all the issues {that a} terrific quarterback does. His motion was in all probability extra of a shock that he was so environment friendly along with his motion—he may at all times throw it. His capability to remain poised and calm all through the season, all year long—with all the hype and the buildup, he may have gone south 5 totally different instances, and he by no means did. He by no means wavered. His management actually stood out. His voice within the locker room, his voice with our gamers, he mentioned the proper stuff all 12 months, proper as much as right now. It is an incredible story. It is an incredible story for lots of gamers, in different sports activities, wherever you wish to go, when you hold hanging in there and also you consider in your self, and you do not let the messaging exterior of you have an effect on who you’re and what you’re, you may discover your finest. I believe Geno has discovered his finest, and he is prepared to come back again and go once more. I although he had simply an unbelievably nice season for us.”

Stated receiver DK Metcalf, who caught 10 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns, “He did not show something however himself proper that he generally is a excellent quarterback—an incredible quarterback, an MVP candidate on this league, so he did a hell of a job this 12 months.”

Whereas Smith has gone out of his strategy to speak about his particular person accomplishments this 12 months, the one he’s most pleased with is that he was capable of begin all 17 video games, enjoying each offensive snap of the season, the one quarterback within the league to try this. And even when issues did not go his or the Seahawks’ means, Smith by no means stopped combating, a trait he confirmed main a late landing drive Saturday even after the rating was out of attain.

“For me, simply going on the market and enjoying each recreation and competing,” he mentioned. “I wished to point out those who I am an incredible competitor. There is not any give up, there’s not stopping in me. It doesn’t matter what occurs good or dangerous, I’ll go on the market and provides it my all each single time, and I consider my teammates really feel the identical means.”