Thank goodness.

That boring Super Bowl is finally done, so we can get back to discussing critical issues like the future of Jamal Adams, who’s going to play left field for the Mariners, and whether the Kraken can make a dent in the NHL playoffs.

Yes, yes …

I’m kidding.

Although, those items mentioned above are definitely on our chat list for the near future, along with some guesses on whether or not Gonzaga can earn a share of its 11th straight WCC championship.

But Super Bowl LVII?

It was the type of thriller we hope to see each year, only to be disappointed fairly often by a game that turns into a dud.

This one, though, lived up to the hype — and then some.

The Eagles were brilliant, every bit as good as advertised, and Jalen Hurts proved he could rise to the big occasion.

Hurts completed some throws that looked impossible, and when the Chiefs changed their defensive front to rush him, Philly went with designed QB runs that were effective.

Terrific.

Absolutely terrific.

THE BAD news for the Eagles — besides Hurts’ fumble that turned into a Kansas City touchdown — was that the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes.

Longtime NFL reporter Peter King made an appearance on national TV during the week before the game, and said: “I really like the Eagles, but the problem is Mahomes. To beat him, you have to kill him.”

Obviously, Patrick is still alive — and busy hugging the Lombardi Trophy.

The league’s Golden Boy put on the show we suspected he might, bringing the Chiefs back from a 24-14 deficit to that ultimate 38-35 triumph – and now the talk of a dynasty doesn’t seem so crazy.

We’ll leave all that discussion to the thousands of pundits on television, radio, social media of every possible kind, yada, yada.

I’ll just note that the Chiefs, under the almost Machiavellian guidance of Andy Reid, have been to three of the last four Super Bowls and won two of them.

They don’t look like rolling over any time soon.

So, what does all this mean to the Seahawks, who — for what it’s worth — are given almost no hope of success in 2023 by the wise guys in Las Vegas?

FanDuel’s early odds place Seattle at 25th if you fancy picking a long shot to win the next Super Bowl.

Talk about insulting …

Denver is the 16th choice.

Denver??

Is Sean Payton going to PLAY instead of coach?

Worse than looking up at the Broncos, Dallas is No. 6 behind the obvious suspects (with the Chiefs favored to repeat).

Why in the world do people keep falling in love with the ‘Boys every year, and wind up landing in the gutter?

If you’re interested, the only teams listed as longer shots to win it all below the Seahawks are the Bears, Titans, Buccaneers, Falcons, Colts, Cardinals and Texans.

Yes, that means Seattle is getting less respect than any other team that made the playoffs this year (and quite a few who didn’t).

Please pay attention, though …

I have a theory about those wild early Super Bowl odds.

Folks who know this stuff in Vegas do NOT believe in Geno Smith.

Think about it.

The Hawks were 9-8 this year to earn a wild-card spot, Smith made the Pro Bowl, a whole raft of rookies were terrific, and GM John Schneider has another large bucket of draft choices coming in April — including the No. 5 overall pick.

Common sense suggests Seattle should be a rising force in the NFC, assuming the Hawks get the same kind of production from the quarterback position.

But …

Those smart money people don’t believe they will.

ANOTHER issue …

You have money and cap limitations if the Seahawks choose to re-sign Geno for something north of $30 million.

Look at the Eagles, and that loaded roster that landed them in the Super Bowl.

Hurts was playing in the third year of a four-season contract worth around $6 million.

For 2022, Hurts was paid $1.1 million (47th among all NFL quarterbacks) and rocked the Eagles into the Super Bowl — not to mention put up 35 points in a bid to win it.

Yes, that left Philly with acres of cap space to load up with serious talent everywhere else.

What lesson do we draw for the Seahawks in all of this?

Simple.

They have to let Geno Smith walk away in free agency.

There are various other scenarios, but my own amateur stab at this would be to sign Drew Lock for a modest two- or three-year deal (just to make sure there’s a veteran QB around who knows your system), and then …

Draft a quarterback with that No. 5 pick.

I KNOW, I know.

They need help on defense, but they also have a ton of picks besides that fifth choice (Nos. 20 and 38, for instance) and they proved this year that they can find talent that isn’t right at the top of the board.

Schneider knows quarterbacks, and has a bit of a gift for projecting who can develop into a star.

We KNOW there will be a highly ranked QB at No. 5, and frankly, I trust Schneider and Pete Carroll to get it right.

Ask anyone inside the Seahawks organization — people who see these players every day — and they’ll tell you that Drew Lock is a player.

In fact, he could explode in coordinator Shane Waldron’s system, just as Smith did this season.

Meanwhile, you’d have a potential star waiting in the wings.

I understand that they need help elsewhere, but this is a quarterback league – and you hit the jackpot when you find one (like Hurts, for instance).

Look, let me ask you a simple question…

Can you picture Geno Smith in the Super Bowl?

Honestly, I cannot.

Neither can the boys in Vegas, who are assuming the Hawks will hang on to Geno — and thus they’ve made Seattle their eighth-lowest choice to reach the Super Bowl in ’23.

C’mon and take the other path, gentlemen.

You aren’t likely to see the fifth pick in the draft again, except in your dreams.

So, please, say thanks to Geno, wish him well, and …

Grab a quarterback!

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”