Schefter: Geno Smith, Seahawks Not Reaching Contract Agreement 'Would Be a Surprise'

There is reportedly mutual interest from Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks in keeping the quarterback in place.

"Geno Smith wants to be in Seattle," ESPN's Adam Schefter said during Wednesday's SportsCenter Mock Draft special with Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. "The Seahawks want him in Seattle. The two sides have been working on a long-term extension. I think it would be a surprise if it didn't get done. I would operate under the theory that Geno Smith will be in Seattle."

The topic came up after Kiper previously projected the Seahawks to select Kentucky's Will Levis in a mock draft.

While expectations may not have been high for Smith entering the 2022 season with a Seattle team that moved on from a franchise icon in Russell Wilson, he responded by turning in the best year of his career ahead of free agency.

He completed an NFL-best 69.8 percent of his passes for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while making his first career Pro Bowl and leading the Seahawks to the playoffs all while Wilson's Denver Broncos were arguably the most disappointing team in the league.

Smith started all 17 games, marking the first time he started more than three contests in a season since his second year in the league during the 2014 campaign.

It might be fair to wonder whether giving a major contract to a 32-year-old who was primarily known for failing to live up to expectations as a 2013 second-round pick prior to this season is a wise move for Seattle, but it is difficult to argue with the success he showed on the field this past year. His efforts even earned him AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

He seemed to have a chemistry with many of the team's offensive weapons, and a postseason appearance didn't seem to be in the cards at the start of the year following the Wilson trade.

Now both sides apparently want to run things back, which will surely impact the way the Seahawks approach free agency and the draft as they attempt to build a consistent winner around the West Virginia product.