There are few relationships more important in sports than head coach and quarterback. One rarely reaches full potential without the other being at least a strong partner. It sounds like Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and quarterback Geno Smith will be together for at least one more year.
Macdonald spoke with a much stronger tone in an interview with Seattle’s Fox 13 on Thursday when asked about the future of Smith than he did during his season-ending press conference a month earlier. The coach, who just completed his first year as the head man, looked somewhat incredulous this week while making it clear that he expects Smith to be the passer under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak next season.
“Yeah. Heck yeah, man,” Macdonald said. “Geno’s our quarterback. I don’t understand the conversation. It’s pretty obvious this guy is a heck of a quarterback. He’s our quarterback. We love him. Can’t wait to go to work with him.”
Let’s look at this from a slightly different angle.
There are a few ways one could explain a relationship with a spouse. Which one of these is less likely to put you on a couch, or an even worse place?
1. “She’s the wife that’s best for me right now.”
2. “Heck, yeah, man, She’s my wife. I don’t understand the conversation.”
3. “She’s my wife, forever, until death parts us, and there is nothing in this world that could ever change that.”
Macdonald — hopefully, for his sake — uses Option 3 to talk about his wife. That’s not a realistic possibility when talking about a football player on one’s team, but he essentially went from Option 1 to Option 2 in his latest thoughts about his quarterback, who is somewhat of a polarizing player among Seahawks fans.
While Macdonald endorsed Smith a month ago, it didn’t come off as definitive.
“I want Geno to be here,” Macdonald said on Jan. 7. “I think he’s a heck of a player … I feel like Geno’s the best for the team right now.”
So what changed?
There are several possible reasons. It could be just a matter of Macdonald realizing that some media members (myself included) parsed his words in January. It left open the thought maybe the team was strongly considering releasing Smith — mostly due to a salary cap number of $44.5 million.
Perhaps Kubiak came in and said he loves what Smith does, and believes he can get some elite-level production out of the quarterback, who will turn 35 next season.
The most likely reason, in my opinion, is that the team and Smith are getting closer to a new contract. It seems unlikely that Seattle would take the $44.5 million hit this season. But an extension in the 3 years, $30-35 million per range with a low first-year cap hit would give the team some flexibility to fill some other holes — in the middle of Smith’s offensive line in particular.
If general manager John Schneider and Smith’s agent, Chafie Fields, have a basic understanding of a contract, that would make it much easier for Macdonald to speak of Smith in future tense.
While there’s been no indication from the team that a contract is near, the final year of Smith’s current deal will essentially be locked in place if no extension is signed before March 16. That’s when $16 million worth of roster bonuses will activate. For Macdonald to speak of Smith so strongly while there’s uncertainty with his quarterback’s contract would seem unlikely — and unwise.
So, they must have a pretty good idea of what’s coming. Coaches and their PR staffs don’t like having to un-say things. Macdonald essentially said “I do” to another season of Smith, and it would be tough to reverse course this offseason.
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