Report: Geno Smith to be Seahawks backup QB as Paxton Lynch waived
Aug 30, 2019, 4:21 PM
Geno Smith had strong performances in the final Seahawks preseason games. (AP)
(AP)
The Seattle Seahawks aren’t known to let much get out on the day before the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline, but there are exceptions.
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One such exception was reported Friday afternoon by The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta: Paxton Lynch has been waived, according to Condotta, which would make Geno Smith the backup quarterback to Seahawks star Russell Wilson.
Other than the timing, the report doesn’t come as a surprise. Smith played well in the final two games of the preseason, especially in Thursday’s 17-15 win Seahawks win over the Raiders, while Lynch struggled against Oakland in his first action since suffering a concussion two games prior.
Lynch had his moments in the preseason, but they all came in the first week when the 2016 Denver Broncos first-round pick led the way in a 22-14 win over his former team. In that game, Lynch completed 11 of 15 passes for 109 yards (and a 115.7 passer rating) and ran for 38 yards and a touchdown. That was as good as it would get for the lanky 25 year old, however. He was just 6 for 15 passing the next week in Minnesota and had to leave the game late when he suffered a concussion on a hit by Vikings cornerback Colton Hill (who was subsequently fined).
After missing the third preseason game against the Chargers, Lynch returned Thursday night, taking over after Smith had an impressive showing. Not only did Lynch go a dismal 1 for 7 passing but he was nearly intercepted on one incompletion, which pretty much sealed his fate.
The 28-year-old Smith, who like Lynch had lofty expectations early in his career after being selected by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, struggled in the first week of the preseason and missed the second game following knee surgery to remove a cyst. Upon Smith’s return against the Chargers, however, he looked like the only option to back up Wilson. In Los Angeles, Smith completed 11 of 18 passes for 117 yards plus ran for 24 yards on six attempts. He was then the star of the show Thursday, throwing a pair of touchdowns and putting up a passer rating of 141.4 by completing 4 of 7 passes for 107 yards.
Smith left Thursday’s win due to injury with what Seahawks coach Pete Carroll called a “tweak” to the same left knee had surgery on just weeks prior, but that doesn’t appear to be much of a concern a day later with Seattle’s reported waiving of Lynch.
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