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Geno Smith

Smith with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021

No. 7 – Seattle Seahawks

Position:

Quarterback

Personal information

Born:

October 10, 1990 (age 34)
Miramar, Florida, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)

Weight:

221 lb (100 kg)

Career information

High school:

Miramar

College:

West Virginia (2009–2012)

NFL Draft:

2013 / Round: 2 / Pick: 39

Career history

New York Jets (2013)
New York Giants (2017)
Los Angeles Chargers (2018)
Seattle Seahawks (2019–present)

Roster status:

Active

Career highlights and awards

NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2022)
2× Pro Bowl (2022, 2023)
NFL completion percentage leader (2022)
First-team All-Big East (2011)
Second-team All-Big 12 (2012)
Second-team All-Big East (2010)

Career NFL statistics as of 2024

Passing attempts:	2,655
Passing completions:	1,721
Completion percentage:	64.8%
TD–INT:	105–72
Passing yards:	19,143
Passer rating:	88.0

Player stats at PFR

Eugene Cyril Smith III (born October 10, 1990), known as Geno Smith, is an American professional football player. He is a quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League (NFL).

Geno played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers. There, he led his team to many important games and broke several passing records. After college, the New York Jets picked him in the 2013 NFL draft.

After playing for the Jets, and then as a backup for the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers, Geno made an amazing comeback. In 2022, he became the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. That year, he was chosen for his first Pro Bowl, had his first winning season, and led the league in pass completion percentage. He also won the Comeback Player of the Year award.

Geno Smith's Early Life

Geno Smith was born in Miramar, Florida, on October 10, 1990. His family comes from Bimini in the Bahamas. His great-uncle, Danny Smith, was a record-breaking hurdler at Florida State. His cousin, Mel Bratton, was a star running back at Miami. Geno's nickname came from his grandfather, who was called "Big Geno."

Geno went to Miramar High School. As a junior, he threw for 2,200 yards and 25 touchdowns. He was named second-team all-state quarterback. After his junior year, he was invited to the special Elite 11 quarterback camp.

In his senior year, Geno led his team to the state semi-finals. He completed 205 passes for 3,089 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also ran for over 300 yards. He was a first-team all-state player in Florida. Geno finished his high school career as one of the best passers in Broward County history. He chose to go to West Virginia University for college.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40^‡	Commit date
Eugene Smith QB	Miramar, Florida	Miramar High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	184 lb (83 kg)	4.59	Nov 7, 2008
Eugene Smith QB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 81
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 12 (QB) Rivals: 3 (Dual-threat QB) ESPN: 8 (QB)
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Football Career

Geno Smith during his college career at West Virginia

Geno Smith played for the West Virginia Mountaineers football team from 2009 to 2012. He studied English at West Virginia University.

Freshman Year (2009)

In his first year, Geno was the backup quarterback. He played in a few games, completing 32 of 49 passes for 309 yards and one touchdown.

Sophomore Year (2010)

Geno became the starting quarterback in 2010. In his first start, he helped his team win 31–0. Later, he led a big comeback against Marshall, winning 24–21 in overtime. He threw for 316 yards in that game.

He also had a great game against Maryland, throwing four touchdowns. For this, he won his first Big East Offensive Player of the Week award. Geno finished the 2010 season with 2,763 passing yards and 24 touchdowns.

Junior Year (2011)

With a new coach and a new offense, Geno's passing numbers got much better. He set school records for completions (38), attempts (65), and passing yards (463) in a game against LSU.

He also set new single-season school records for pass completions (291), attempts (448), and yards (3,741). In the 2012 Orange Bowl, Geno had an amazing game. He tied three bowl records, including six touchdown passes. He also broke Tom Brady's Orange Bowl record for passing yards with 401.

Senior Year (2012)

As a senior, Geno continued to play very well. In one game against Baylor, he completed 45 of 51 passes for 656 yards and eight touchdowns! This was a career-high for him.

He finished his senior season with 4,205 passing yards and 42 touchdowns. After this successful year, he decided to enter the 2013 NFL draft.

College Awards and Statistics

Geno received many awards during his college career:

All-Big East Conference Second-team (2010)
All-Big East Conference First-team (2011)
4× Big East Offensive Player of the Week
2012 Orange Bowl Most Valuable Player
3× Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week
2× National Offensive Player of the Week (2012)

West Virginia Mountaineers
Season	Games			Passing								Rushing
Season	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
2009	5	0	0–0	32	49	65.3	309	6.3	1	1	120.9	17	7	0.4	0
2010	13	13	9–4	241	372	64.8	2,763	7.4	24	7	144.7	106	217	2.0	0
2011	13	13	10–3	346	526	65.8	4,385	8.3	31	7	152.6	56	−33	−0.6	2
2012	13	13	7–6	369	518	71.2	4,205	8.1	42	6	163.9	66	151	2.3	2
Career	44	39	26–13	988	1,465	67.4	11,662	8.0	98	21	153.5	245	342	1.4	4

Professional Football Career

Before the NFL draft, scouts liked Geno's athleticism and strong arm. Many thought he would be picked in the first round.

Pre-draft measurables
Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand size	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Wonderlic
6 ft 2+3⁄8 in (1.89 m)	218 lb (99 kg)	32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m)	9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m)	4.59 s	1.62 s	2.69 s	33.5 in (0.85 m)	10 ft 4 in (3.15 m)	24
All values from NFL Combine

New York Jets (2013–2016)

Geno Smith at New York Jets' training camp in 2013

Geno was picked by the New York Jets as the 39th overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. He signed a four-year, $5 million contract.

Rookie Year (2013)

Geno became the Jets' starting quarterback after an injury to another player. In his first regular season game, he helped the Jets win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He threw for 256 yards and a touchdown. Later, he became the first rookie quarterback in Jets history to throw for over 300 yards in a game. He was even named AFC Offensive Player of the Week once.

Geno finished his rookie year with 3,046 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. He also ran for 366 yards and six touchdowns.

Later Years with the Jets

In 2014, Geno continued as the starter but had some tough games. He was benched in some games for another quarterback. However, in the final game of the season, he had a career-high 358 passing yards and three touchdowns, earning a perfect passer rating.

In 2015, Geno broke his jaw in an argument with a teammate before the season. This injury caused him to miss time, and he lost his starting spot. In 2016, he became a backup again. He got a chance to start in Week 7 but tore his ACL (a knee injury), which ended his season early.

Other Teams (2017–2018)

After leaving the Jets, Geno signed with the New York Giants in 2017. He made history by becoming the first black quarterback to start for the Giants. He was also the first quarterback to start for both the Giants and the Jets.

In 2018, Geno signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. He played in five games as a backup.

Seattle Seahawks (2019–present)

Geno joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2019 as a backup quarterback. He didn't play much in his first two seasons with the team.

Stepping Up (2021)

In 2021, Geno got a chance to play when the starting quarterback, Russell Wilson, got injured. He threw his first touchdown pass since 2017. He finished the season with 702 passing yards and five touchdowns in four games.

Pro Bowler and Comeback Player of the Year (2022)

In 2022, Geno became the Seahawks' starting quarterback after Russell Wilson was traded. He had an amazing season! In Week 4, he threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for another touchdown, leading the Seahawks to a big win. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

In December 2022, Geno was chosen for his first Pro Bowl. He led the Seahawks to the playoffs, which was his first time in the postseason as a starter. He also broke Russell Wilson's record for most passing yards in a single season for the Seahawks.

Geno finished the 2022 season with 4,282 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and a league-leading 69.8% completion percentage. He won the Comeback Player of the Year award.

Second Pro Bowl (2023)

In March 2023, Geno signed a new three-year, $75 million deal with the Seahawks. He continued to play well, leading his team to exciting wins. In Week 10, he threw for a career-high 369 yards and two touchdowns. He led a game-winning drive that ended with a field goal as time ran out.

Geno was named to the Pro Bowl for the second year in a row. He finished the season with 3,624 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. He also threw an NFL record seven go-ahead touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and overtime during the season.

2024 Season

In Week 4 of the 2024 season, Geno passed for 395 yards. He led the Seahawks to a dramatic 20–17 win over the 49ers in Week 11, with a touchdown run in the final seconds.

Geno finished the 2024 season by breaking his own Seahawks single-season records. He had 4,320 passing yards, 407 completions, and 578 pass attempts.

NFL Career Statistics

Legend
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games			Passing									Rushing					Sacks		Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Sck	SckY	Fum	Lost
2013	NYJ	16	16	8–8	247	443	55.8	3,046	6.9	69	12	21	66.5	72	366	5.1	32	6	43	315	8	4
2014	NYJ	14	13	3–10	219	367	59.7	2,525	6.9	74	13	13	77.5	59	238	4.0	18	1	28	175	8	3
2015	NYJ	1	0	—	27	42	64.3	265	6.3	28	2	1	87.9	2	34	17.0	29	0	3	19	0	0
2016	NYJ	2	1	1–0	8	14	57.1	126	9.0	69	1	1	81.2	2	9	4.5	7	0	3	19	1	0
2017	NYG	2	1	0–1	21	36	58.3	212	5.9	47	1	0	84.5	4	12	3.0	10	0	3	12	2	2
2018	LAC	5	0	—	1	4	25.0	8	2.0	8	0	0	39.6	8	2	0.3	9	0	1	16	1	1
2019	SEA	0	0	—	DNP
2020	SEA	1	0	—	4	5	80.0	33	6.6	14	0	0	94.2	2	−2	−1.0	0	0	1	3	1	0
2021	SEA	4	3	1–2	65	95	68.4	702	7.4	84	5	1	103.0	9	42	4.7	12	1	13	117	1	1
2022	SEA	17	17	9–8	399	572	69.8	4,282	7.5	54	30	11	100.9	68	366	5.4	25	1	46	348	8	4
2023	SEA	15	15	8–7	323	499	64.7	3,624	7.3	73	20	9	92.1	37	155	4.2	25	1	31	231	5	3
2024	SEA	17	17	10–7	407	578	70.4	4,320	7.5	71	21	15	93.2	53	272	5.1	34	2	50	338	9	0
Career		94	83	40–43	1,721	2,655	64.8	19,143	7.2	84	105	72	88.0	316	1,494	4.7	34	12	222	1,593	44	18

Postseason

Year	Team	Games			Passing									Rushing					Sacks		Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Sck	SckY	Fum	Lost
2018	LAC	0	0	—	DNP
2019	SEA	0	0	—
2020	SEA	0	0	—
2022	SEA	1	1	0–1	25	35	71.4	253	7.2	50	2	1	98.9	4	28	7.0	11	0	3	25	1	1
Career		1	1	0–1	25	35	71.4	253	7.2	50	2	1	98.9	4	28	7.0	11	0	3	25	1	1

Franchise Records

New York Jets: Most passing yards in a single season by a rookie: 3,046 (2013)
Seattle Seahawks:
- Highest completion percentage in a single season: 70.4% (2024)
- Most passing yards in a season: 4,320 (2024)
- Most pass completions in a single season: 407 (2024)
- Most pass attempts in a single season: 578 (2024)

Personal Life

Geno Smith married his college girlfriend, Hayley Eastham, in July 2015. Their son, Seven Santana Smith, was born on July 17, 2019. His son's name is a tribute to Geno's jersey number, 7.

Geno is a Christian and often shares about his faith online. Before the 2023 NFL season, he started a pescatarian diet, meaning he avoids eating chicken or beef.

Geno's cousin, Jeremiah Smith, is also a talented wide receiver for Ohio State.