Why Geno Smith might ask Seahawks to trade or release him

How Geno Smith’s upcoming contract deadlines might actually be incentives for him to tell Seahawks to trade him, or at least make it look that way

When discussing the key points from Mike Macdonald’s first press conference as the Seattle Seahawks’ head coach, a subscriber’s remark regarding Geno Smith’s contract issue prompted a response from me as well as an idea I’ve previously had with players in comparable circumstances. It got me thinking: Perhaps we’ve been viewing Geno’s precarious situation from the incorrect angle? Perhaps the quarterback sees a chance to break away from the club rather than the other way around.

I’ll clarify.

I had suspicions about Jalen Ramsey’s final season in Los Angeles six months before anyone else was ever considering the Rams trading him because of context indicators in his demeanor, his contract, and the team’s circumstances. Even Ramsey dismissed reports that he wanted to be traded, saying he had been “praying” for it to happen for weeks before being traded to the Miami Dolphins in March.

Is a deal of Geno Smith planned?

The Seahawks probably couldn’t even respond to that at this time because, in addition to needing a partner, the quarterback market needs clarity between now and a few impending deadlines, and the team as a whole needs to get together to determine the best course of action at “the most important position,” as Macdonald put it.

However, I’ll be the first to admit that Geno Smith’s camp may have made the choice to release him from the deal he signed last year, if not the other way around.

Here’s why I believe Geno Smith would request his release from the Seahawks if they were unable to work out a trade before his deadline of February 16…