The next big domino to fall was trading a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Geno Smith. The tale of Carroll and Smith is one driven by perseverance and faith, as the former Seahawks quarterback was named the starter in 2022 after spending six seasons as a backup for four different teams.
Smith hasn't looked back, throwing 71 touchdowns, 12,226 yards and completing over 68 percent of his throws over the last three seasons. He accomplished all of that while also totaling 27 wins in that span.
"We have really a rich background, and it was really important to me because I know what we can count on," Carroll said of acquiring Smith. "We have a guy that is such a great worker. He's grown so much through his career, been through so much and overcome so much. I love the way he approaches the game. He's serious, he's competitive, works his tail off, and he's a great leader in that regard, leads the guys by the way he takes to the game. And man, he's talented, really talented."
"I've talked to him all throughout this year at times," Carroll added of his year away from football. "You'd be surprised how much we were just communicating, stayed in touch. And really, it's about me supporting him and hoping for the best. And so, when it came around time where we can finally get to it, it was an automatic that we would take a shot at it. And fortunately, Seattle was willing to listen, and John Spytek did his first big-time deal, and we pulled it off exactly in the manner that we wanted to. It gave us a great kick start to what's going on."