ESPN analyst says Seahawks need to add a QB2 — here are the options

ESPN’s Benjamin Solak is a fan of what Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has been able to do with his career resurgence. He also believes the Hawks have no choice but to add to his competition.

His reasoning is simple.

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“Any team that had had a 34- or 35-year-old quarterback — won Super Bowls, didn’t win Super Bowls, whatever — I’d be saying, ‘Hey, you should be making that Sam Howell move that you made,'” Solak told us Thursday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. “You should be making the Drew Lock move. If Justin Fields is available for QB2 money, go make that move. (Smith) is 35. That is just the nature of the position.

“We’ve obviously seen guys play very well into their 40s but the reality of age in the NFL is that it is a cliff; you are good until you are not. It is rare to see a gradual diminishing of play, it usually is rapid. Think of Kirk Cousins this year, Matt Ryan before him. I think it’s wise to be investing in QB2 in Seattle.”

Solak isn’t advocating for moving on from Smith, whom the Seahawks are likely to extend this offseason (more on when they could do that here). And even in his 30s, Smith’s body has less wear and tear than would a typical franchise starter.

But Solak’s right. The Seahawks need to be looking always. So who’s out there?

Seattle Seahawks’ QB options in draft

Is that with a draft selection? Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (96 on PFF’s big board) is a dynamic player that’ll draw plenty of intrigue from Seattle fans for his mobility (726 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns in 2024). He was less consistent as a passer (16 touchdowns to 11 interceptions) and has a ton of questions there in terms of development, but athletic upside won’t keep him on the board long.

This would still be a draft investment for a Seahawks roster that has holes to fill. Milroe has been mocked as a Day 2 pick, but some project him as a first-round wild card for a desperate team. A situation where Milroe could sit and development behind a veteran is an ideal place for the Bama star, but would Seattle be willing to pass up more immediate roster help?

NOT ONE, NOT TWO, NOT THREE BUT FOUR RUSHING TDS FOR JALEN MILROE 😱

ABSOLUTELY TERRORIZING THE LSU DEFENSE 😳 pic.twitter.com/XuXOsCkLLC

— ESPN (@espn) November 10, 2024

Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, who finished his college career as the winningest quarterback in Rebels history, is another intriguing option, though he could go even earlier. ESPN’s Field Yates recently mocked him at No. 21 to the Steelers following a strong showing at the Senior Bowl.

Other names to watch late in the draft: Will Howard (Ohio State) and Kyle McCord (Syracuse).

What about free agency?

Then there’s a strange free agent class. Strange not necessarily because of the options (there are quite a few, though not strong) but because of fresh context: an eye-popping comeback season from Sam Darnold, who’d signed with the Vikings on a one-year deal as a backup and put up a career year, renews the conversation about how high a failed franchise passer could climb with a second (or third) chance.

Available options this year are Darnold, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, Marcus Mariota, Mac Jones, Jameis Winston and Trey Lance.

The question drove Solak to explore the path to recovery for previous reclamation projects. He settled on four keys to their success (I won’t spoil the read for you) and questioned whether Daniel Jones, Fields, Darnold or even Wilson could be the next success story. All except for Darnold would be cheaper (and, key, younger) options than Smith. Worth noting here that while the path is possible, turning to one of these passers as a starter — rather than an addition to the quarterback room — means passing on a proven commodity for another gamble.

Have we seen Geno’s ceiling?

It feels like a silly question to ask whether we’ve seen the ceiling of a 34-year-old quarterback. But as part of his deep dive into those reclamation projects, Solak felt Smith was an impressive outlier.

“We talk about Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold and some of these reclamation projects, and I brought up the elite receivers they played with,” Solak said. “Geno’s doing it with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Good receivers (but) I wouldn’t go so far as to say those are Mike Evans or Justin Jefferson-caliber players.”

Others with comebacks have had more of a benefit from who was calling their plays.

“You also had Sam Darnold with Kevin O’Connell, Ryan Tannehill with Arthur Smith, Baker Mayfield with Liam Coen and Dave Canales. All of these other guys have gotten head coaching jobs,” Solak said. “Geno’s OC got fired. They moved on from Shane Waldron, hired Ryan Grubb, and now they’ve got to move on from him.

“What Geno has done in his reclamation has been remarkably more challenging, it has been a much bigger uphill battle, than it has been for any of the other guys. And I think we can confidently say he has been reclaimed. He clearly is a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL. So, if we fix the (offensive) line? If we get an offensive coordinator in the building who’s got maybe a little more gas in his arm? I don’t even think we’ve seen the finished product of Geno.”

Hear the full Bump and Stacy conversation with ESPN NFL analyst Benjamin Solak in the podcast at this link or the player near the top of this post. Catch Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Seattle Sports.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Seahawks GM Schneider’s revelation about a first-round pick
• Schneider clarifies past comments on guard position
• Bump: A new Seattle Seahawks O-line draft target to watch
• Three potential needs for Seattle Seahawks besides the O-line
• Huard: How Seattle Seahawks are already emphasizing run game

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