When the Seahawks abruptly traded quarterback Geno Smith, only 10 days after G.M. John Schneider said there was [no doubt](https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/seahawks-to-send-geno-smith-to-raiders) Smith was the guy for 2025, it became apparent that the deal happened after talks on extending Smith’s contract faltered.
Schneider confirmed this reality in a session with reporters on Thursday.
“We made an offer to Geno, tried to extend him,” Schneider said. “It became apparent that we weren’t going to be able to get a deal done. Yeah, [it wasn’t like a very long negotiation](https://x.com/BradyHenderson/status/1900313612616601726). And so, as a staff, we had to be prepared to pivot.”
Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports that the offer the Seahawks made to Smith would have paid out $40 million in the first year. This hardly means the deal would have averaged $40 million annually; last year, for example, the Falcons paid $62.5 million to Kirk Cousins on a deal that averages $45 million per year.
As far as APY goes, Smith wanted more than $40 million per year. The Seahawks got former Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold for $33.5 million. It’s a basic question of price and perceived value, with the Seahawks drawing a line for Smith and rolling the dice that Darnold’s 2024 performance wasn’t an aberration.