Seahawks: Who backs up Geno Smith versus Steelers?

Seahawks starter Russell Wilson is out for at least several games. Geno Smith takes over but we might be unsure who is the quarterback behind Smith. Hopefully, on the field, we don’t have to see someone step in for Smith. Smith, like Wilson, seems tough enough to want to stay in a game even if he is a little dinged up. I mean, he isn’t going to whine like Ben Roethlisberger seems to do.

But 12s have gotten used to their quarterback not getting hurt, like ever. So assuming any other human can be as consistently healthy as Wilson has been doesn’t seem realistic. Let’s say there is a worst-case scenario where Smith gets hurt in week 6. Who is going to come in to replace him?

The most logical choice is Jake Luton as he has been around the team the most this year. Seattle did sign Danny Etling to the practice squad this week and could elevate Etling to the active roster behind Smith and Luton but Etling has never played in an actual NFL game and expecting him to do much is a leap of faith that isn’t grounded in reality.

Who is Geno Smith’s backup with the Seahawks?

While Luton did spend time on the Seahawks practice squad in 2020 it was with an offensive scheme different than the one Seattle has now under Shane Waldron so there would not be any shared knowledge of how to run the offense from one season to next.

Luton played in three games in 2020 with the Jacksonville Jaguars and was relatively awful. He threw 2 touchdowns but 6 interceptions, including 4 against the Steelers in week 11 in a 27-3 loss. Luton was also sacked 7 times, at least twice in each game, so there is no proof he would be good either. That said, Luton will be the backup to Smith in week 6.

This season might simply come down to Geno Smith’s efficient and ability to stay healthy. If he plays as well as he did in the fourth quarter of week 5, great. If he gets hurt early against the Steelers, this will be an ugly year in Seattle.