Pete Carroll said before Friday's preseason finale that the Seahawks might have "two 1s" at quarterback. Seattle's coach is going with just one of them to begin the season.
Carroll said after his team's loss to the Cowboys that Geno Smith will start over Drew Lock in Week 1 against Russell Wilson and the Broncos. But the endorsement was far from ringing; there was a lot of rhetoric about Lock potentially playing this season.
Smith and Lock were battling for the job until Lock was laid up with COVID-19 in mid-August. Both men played against Dallas, but Smith was handled like a No. 1. He played just the opening series and went 3 for 6 passing.
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Less than two weeks before the opener, it's the QB who filled in for Wilson last season over the QB Seattle got back in the trade for Wilson this offseason.
The Sporting News has everything you need to know about Smith winning the QB1 role, and what that means for Lock moving forward:
Why did the Seahawks name Geno Smith their starting QB?
In reading Carroll's comments Friday night, it seemed the decision was as much about Lock losing time in camp as it was about how well Smith performed. But Carroll also made a point of praising Smith's ability to manage the game and protect the ball. Smith did not turn it over in the preseason. Lock threw three interceptions to go with a touchdown Friday.
Smith also had a built-in advantage in that this is his third season in Seattle and he performed reasonably well when Wilson was out injured last year. The 31-year-old veteran completed 68.4 percent of his passes and threw five touchdowns to one interception in four games (three starts). He averaged 8.0 yards per attempt and posted a 103.0 rating. Seattle was 1-2 in his starts, with the losses coming by three points each.
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"Geno, he just knows our stuff, he does really well and understands it and he can manage everything that we're doing, and he's good about the football," Carroll said, per NFL.com. "He'll give us the best chance to be playing great football right off the bat."
What's next for Drew Lock?
It appears he just needs to stay healthy and keep working hard. It seemed clear from Carroll's comments that the 25-year-old, fourth-year pro will see the field.
"With the timeframes, it got messed up for us for Drew, he just ran out of time in making his bid for it," Carroll said, per NFL.com.
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"Drew's going to keep on battling because he can play, and he's got all kinds of stuff in him, and I want him to be ready at a moment's call," Carroll added. "And he's going to keep growing and pushing and developing as a fantastic player and I have no problem playing with him, too. So, we're fortunate to have two guys who can go, and when he comes off the bench, if he gets his chance he'll be ready to go and try to light it up."
Seahawks quarterback depth chart
Geno Smith and Drew Lock are Seattle's 1-2 combo, or, more accurately, 1-1A combo at quarterback. The team's unofficial depth chart lists Jacob Eason as the No. 3 QB. Is the team interested in making a late move for a veteran (Jimmy Garoppolo?) or claiming someone on waivers after final cuts? Stay tuned.
| Player | Place on depth chart |
| Geno Smith | 1 |
| Drew Lock | 2 |
| Jacob Eason | 3 |
