Geno Smith has mixed emotions about Drew Lock’s return to Seattle.
Smith, who secured the Seahawks’ starting quarterback job over Lock last year, said it’s “bittersweet” that Lock re-signed with the team in March on a one-year deal worth $4 million.
“It’s a bittersweet thing because I know he’s a starter and I know he can go and do great things,” Smith said, according to ProFootballTalk.
“I want him to go get that opportunity somewhere, but when he’s in the room with me, we are going to push each other. He makes me better, hopefully, I make him better as a player. We have a great relationship, and I was happy to be able to continue that.”
The 26-year-old Lock will serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind Smith, 32, who completely revitalized his career in Seattle after being a bust with the Jets and then a backup for a portion of his NFL career.
The veteran inked a three-year, $105 million extension in March after throwing a franchise-record 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and an NFL-leading 69.8 completion percentage.
Smith’s resurgence pushed the Seahawks into the playoffs with a 9-8 record before losing to the 49ers in the wild-card round.
“My tough times would be a dream to someone else,” Smith said in December. “I’ll never look at it as something that was too hard for me or too tough. I just had to stay patient until I got that opportunity.”
Although the former Jets and Giants quarterback seemed poised to sit behind Russell Wilson on the Seahawks for the remainder of his career after joining the team in 2020, the March 2022 blockbuster trade that sent Wilson to Denver changed everything.
Lock, who entered the league in 2019 as a second-round pick with the Broncos, landed in Seattle as part of the Wilson trade after starting 21 games for Denver and posting an 8-13 record.
Injuries aside, it’s doubtful that Lock gets any real snaps in 2023 — pending an injury — as Smith looks to replicate his success from last year.
“When he gets his opportunity, he is going to kill it,” Smith said of Lock.
