COLUMN: The Seahawks are winning the Smith trade
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months AGO
We are already a month into the 2025 NFL season. Teams with immense hype coming into the season have either met or exceeded expectations or have plummeted into obscurity – like my Cincinnati Bengals.
The Seattle Seahawks are one of those teams that are living up to their hype. Ever since they traded quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders and brought in 2024 sensation Sam Darnold to replace him, they have reaped the benefits. It was a gamble in some respects to make this move.
Reviving dead careers
The career resurgence that Smith had in Seattle is one for the storybooks. After his 2022 season, he could never quite replicate what he did that year. While he passed for at least 3,500 yards since that year, his touchdown-interception ratio has slowly shifted. Heading into week five, Smith has thrown 948 yards, thrown six touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The Raiders are 1-3, meanwhile the Seahawks are off to a 3-1 start and sit second in the NFC West behind the San Francisco 49ers – Seattle's lone loss this season so far.
Darnold’s 2024 season was a career resurgence of its own. He threw a career-high 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns. Darnold and Smith are not the first pair of quarterbacks to put together compelling seasons and earn big-money contracts. In past cases, we have seen this concept completely backfire for many teams.
Think of Brock Osweiler, who the Houston Texans signed for more than $70 million in 2016. How about Matt Flynn, who shone with the Green Bay Packers and earned a three-year $20 million deal with the Seahawks, which at the time was a sizeable investment for NFL teams. Lastly, Nick Foles, who had the incredible Super Bowl run with the Philadelphia Eagles, earned an $80 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
All of these players flamed out with their new teams after having impressive seasons before their arrival.
So far, he has looked strong to start the season and is proving that last year was not a fluke. Through 908 yards passing, five touchdowns and only two interceptions, the Seahawks front office has to be feeling good about the chess pieces they played on the offseason. Even his completion percentage is at a career high with 70%. Darnold is operating at a high level and is thriving in his new offense in Seattle.
DK Metcalf who?
Darnold has seemingly formed a strong connection on the field with receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, which has allowed the young player to take the next step. He leads the team with 402 yards receiving and averages 15 yards per catch. If the duo can continue to strengthen their chemistry, Smith-Njigba could find himself regarded as one of the top receivers in the NFL.
This is not to say DK Metcalf is not doing well over in Pittsburgh, but the success Darnold and Smith-Njigba are having makes that irrelevant. He is on pace to repeat his strong 1,100-yard season from last year, if not blow it out of the water.
What stands in their way?
While Seahawks fans can comfortably sit back in their La-Z-Boys on Sundays knowing they have an answer at quarterback, what stands to rain on their parade?
Well, it’s not necessarily the defense. So far, the Seahawks defense has looked strong, only allowing 20 points at most by a team in a single game this season. They are currently sixth in the league for sacks with 12 as a team and third in interceptions, with seven. They have allowed a total of 297 yards a game. Their opponents average 200 yards passing and 90 yards rushing a game.
In today’s NFL, that is closer to average than 10 years ago, but it is still a winning recipe for teams. Rumors are swirling that the Seahawks are looking to trade defensive back Tariq Woolen. According to Pro Football Focus, his coverage grade is 40.1, which is a career low and points to issues in the Seahawks' secondary.
Teams can log turnovers all they want, but if the secondary is still getting carved up in the pass game, that is not a sustainable strategy. In the coming weeks, I imagine the Seahawks will look to improve their secondary since a playoff run is a realistic possibility for this team. The trade deadline at the beginning of November will also be a statement of what this team sees in themselves.
The Seahawks are looking better in month one than they did when Smith was at the helm. This team is convincing. Any statement made about this team making a playoff run is valid and backed by evidence.
The Seahawks have won the Smith trade.
MIKE MAYNARDARTICLES BY MIKE MAYNARD
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