Mike Macdonald: We can win a championship with Geno Smith

When Mike Macdonald became the Seahawks head coach last year, he created some doubt about his level of commitment to quarterback Geno Smith but there’s been a lot less ambiguity this year.

Macdonald said at the end of the regular season that the Seahawks “want Geno to be here” when asked about the $16 million roster bonus that Smith is set to receive next month. Paying that option would leave Smith in the last year of his contract and it will lead to further conversations about a contract extension that would set him up to be in Seattle for years to come.

Macdonald didn’t directly address that question during an interview with Fox 13 in Seattle this week, but he made it clear that he’s looking forward to seeing what Smith and new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak can do together.

“I don’t understand the conversation,” Macdonald said. “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. We’ve had a lot of non-football conversations — to keep it legal — over the last month or so. And I know he’s really excited about Klint taking over. This guy, yeah, he’s a great player, man. And we can win a championship with Geno Smith. We really believe that and can’t wait to get back to work with him.”

Any championship hopes will take a better rushing offense and improved offensive line play, which is part of the reason why Kubiak is replacing Ryan Grubb for the 2025 season. If they get those things and Smith continues to play well, there might be a return to the postseason in the cards in Seattle.