Geno injured and having tests done

[D-train]

I thought they weren't allowed to touch the QBs????

By Bob Condotta
Seattle Times staff reporter
RENTON — When quarterback Geno Smith sat out a walk-through Wednesday after the Seahawks held full-pads and full-contact practices Monday and Tuesday, it didn’t seem like much to worry about.

A day later, there is at least some reason for nervousness about the status of the 33-year-old Smith, who is entrenched as the team’s starter.

Smith sat out Thursday’s full-pads practice at the VMAC with apparent knee and hip injuries suffered in practice Tuesday. After Thursday’s practice, first-year coach Mike Macdonald said Smith will get some tests done Thursday night to determine the extent of the issues.

“He’s working through a couple things from the other day,’’ Macdonald said. “But [he’s going to] get some imaging tonight and we’ll see.’’

When asked what tests Smith would have, Macdonald said he’d keep that private for now.

A team spokesman said Wednesday that Smith was sitting out that day’s practice while having some work done on his knee and hip in the wake of a physical practice on Tuesday.

Macdonald confirmed that the injuries happened on Tuesday.

“Yeah, he got banged up a little bit on Tuesday,’’ Macdonald said.

Asked if Smith could be back for Friday’s 1 p.m. practice at the VMAC, Macdonald said, “I don’t know about tomorrow, but we’ll just see what comes out when he goes and sees the doc.’’

Smith made a brief appearance at practice Thursday, walking onto the field about 25 minutes into the workout and talking with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and watching from the sidelines.

About 20 minutes later, Smith walked back into the locker room and was not seen again.

Smith was not on the field at all Wednesday for a walk-through practice. Macdonald did not talk to reporters on Wednesday, so there were no additional details on his status until Thursday.

Smith did not appear to miss any snaps during Tuesday’s practice.

Late in practice he was hit while stepping up to make a pass in traffic and knocked to the ground.

Smith got up and appeared to flex his leg and walk around for a few seconds limping. He appeared to walk off whatever injury he was feeling at that time and continued to practice. It’s unclear when in practice Tuesday he may have gotten injured.

Smith has started all but two games at quarterback for the Seahawks since taking over when Russell Wilson was traded to Denver. Both of the games he missed came late last season when he suffered a groin injury in practice.

Smith also suffered knee and ankle injuries when he was tackled from behind during an October Monday night win against the Giants in New York and missed some snaps in that game before returning.

Both times he was replaced by Drew Lock, who signed with the Giants in March as a free agent.

With Smith sidelined Thursday, Sam Howell ran the first-team offense, while P.J. Walker ran the backups.

Interestingly, each started games for other teams against the Seahawks at Lumen Field last season — Howell for Washington in a 29-26 Seahawks win, and Walker for Cleveland in a 24-20 Seahawks win. They are the only other two quarterbacks on the team’s roster.

Howell was acquired in a trade with Washington in March after starting all 17 games in 2023 for the Commanders, leading the NFL in attempts (612) and interceptions (21).

Walker, who has nine NFL starts, including two last year for Cleveland, signed in June.

Smith has led the Seahawks to a 17-15 record in his 32 starts since Wilson’s trade, and 0-1 in the playoffs, and has been invited to the Pro Bowl each year, compiling a passer rating of 97.3 that is the second-best in team history behind only the 101.8 of Wilson.

Howell worked almost exclusively with the backups through the first six practices before moving up to the starters the last two days.

The offense was predictably a little up-and-down with Howell taking over with the starters. The practice was also heavily focused on third-down situations, which put the quarterbacks under constant stress.

Howell threw one interception, a pick-six by cornerback Tre Brown, who reached low to grab a pass thrown behind DK Metcalf and was able to control it and turn quickly and race to the end zone from about 50 yards out or so.

Brown also broke up the final play of the day, a two-point conversion attempt that was set up as a play that would win the day for the offense, which was also a pass from Howell to Metcalf in the corner of the end zone.

Howell had some highlights, notably two straight touchdown passes to Metcalf during a red-zone drill, each throws coming when Metcalf was defended by Brown. On the first, Howell threw the ball high and let Metcalf used his 6-4 height to reach and grab the ball over the arms of a leaping Brown, who is listed at 5-10.

Walker also saw his most extensive time of training camp running the backup offense. Like Howell, he turned in some good and bad. Walker’s good included touchdowns on two straight passes during a red-zone drill on throws to Easop Winston Jr. and Jake Bobo. He threw a pick six on a sideline route that was intercepted by rookie cornerback D.J. James and returned for a TD.

“Guys stepped in and did a great job,’’ Macdonald said. “Operated the offense, moved the ball. Got it out sometimes. Took a couple sacks but it was a big third-down pressure day sort of thing so the guys, they saw a pretty good gamut of stuff. … Looked good. We’ll see on tape and see what we want to go fix moving forward.’’

As for Smith, the obvious hope is that Thursday night’s tests reveal no significant damage and he won’t be out long.

And with the team installing a new offense under Grubb, every practice matters.

The good news if Smith has to miss a little time is that the Seahawks don’t play a regular-season game until Sept. 8 at Lumen Field against Denver, giving him time to recover if he needs a few weeks.

The Seahawks undoubtedly hope Smith would be healthy enough to play when they travel to Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 13 for joint practices against the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 14 and Aug. 15.

The Seahawks play their preseason opener Aug. 10 against the Chargers in Los Angeles, though it’s unclear if the team will play starters much, if any. The starters would get much of their preseason work during the trip to Nashville.

[Donn Beach]

Thought everyone thought it was cool how McDonald got rid of the red practice jersey, that was so PC

Heck, even the jerseys the players were wearing in practice Wednesday were new. Instead of basic practice uniforms, these new Seahawks were in the team’s shiny, trimmed game jerseys. The offensive players were in home dark blue. The defense was in road whites.

Gone are the red, no-contact jerseys quarterbacks wore in Seattle’s practices for decades. Geno Smith and Sam Howell were in the Seahawks’ alternate royal-blue throwbacks during OTAs Wednesda

“We want to practice as much as like a game as possible,” Macdonald said following the two hours of no-pads, no-contract drills. “So how we dress, all the details, where we stand, how we operate, how we coach them up timing-wise, we want them to always feel like they are out there playing.”

Okay, I guess it was like a real game

[D-train]

[D-train]

Thought everyone thought it was cool how McDonald got rid of the red practice jersey, that was so PC

Heck, even the jerseys the players were wearing in practice Wednesday were new. Instead of basic practice uniforms, these new Seahawks were in the team’s shiny, trimmed game jerseys. The offensive players were in home dark blue. The defense was in road whites.

Gone are the red, no-contact jerseys quarterbacks wore in Seattle’s practices for decades. Geno Smith and Sam Howell were in the Seahawks’ alternate royal-blue throwbacks during OTAs Wednesda

“We want to practice as much as like a game as possible,” Macdonald said following the two hours of no-pads, no-contract drills. “So how we dress, all the details, where we stand, how we operate, how we coach them up timing-wise, we want them to always feel like they are out there playing.”

Okay, I guess it was like a real game

The pass rushers should kind of know that the guy with holding the ball either looking downfield for an open receiver or scrambling is the QB regardless of jersey color.

[maoling]

He's dinged up in his knee and hip, wow. But supposedly he will be ready for the opener, smh.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/se ... 9d22&ei=15

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/ge ... a698&ei=12

[Donn Beach]

Thought everyone thought it was cool how McDonald got rid of the red practice jersey, that was so PC

Heck, even the jerseys the players were wearing in practice Wednesday were new. Instead of basic practice uniforms, these new Seahawks were in the team’s shiny, trimmed game jerseys. The offensive players were in home dark blue. The defense was in road whites.

Gone are the red, no-contact jerseys quarterbacks wore in Seattle’s practices for decades. Geno Smith and Sam Howell were in the Seahawks’ alternate royal-blue throwbacks during OTAs Wednesda

“We want to practice as much as like a game as possible,” Macdonald said following the two hours of no-pads, no-contract drills. “So how we dress, all the details, where we stand, how we operate, how we coach them up timing-wise, we want them to always feel like they are out there playing.”

Okay, I guess it was like a real game

They should but maybe they don't. He wanted it more like a real game and he got it

[Sibelius Hindemith]

He's dinged up in his knee and hip, wow. But supposedly he will be ready for the opener, smh.

Doesn't sound like anything too serious and there's still over a month before game one.

[maoling]

He's dinged up in his knee and hip, wow. But supposedly he will be ready for the opener, smh.

Doesn't sound like anything too serious and there's still over a month before game one.

With the questionable camp of Howell, Macdonald saying he isn't settled on his O-line yet, Olu's struggles, plus Geno with an early injury...my seasonal August Seahawks' paranoia is starting to flare up again lol.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

Comments from the "football fest" at Lumen Field on Saturday...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3VhdZ_D2oIg

[D-train]