Geno Smith injury update: Seahawks QB questionable to return with knee injury

Admin December 16, 2024

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith headed to the locker room with an injury halfway through the third quarter of Seattle’s “Sunday Night Football” clash with the Green Bay Packers.

Smith took a low hit from a couple of Packers defenders after throwing the ball away on a first-down pass attempt. After he remained on the field for a few extra moments, he received medical attention from the Seattle training staff.

Though Smith walked off of the field under his own power, he entered the blue medical tent shortly after getting to the sideline. A few minutes later, NBC’s broadcast showed the veteran quarterback walking back to the Seahawks‘ locker room.

The Seahawks had designated Smith as questionable to return with a knee injury, but the quarterback did not return to the game. Backup quarterback Sam Howell replaced Smith for Seattle.

Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters after the game that the team will run tests on Smith’s knee on Monday.

“Structurally, it looks like it’s OK,” Macdonald said, “but we gotta get it imaged.”

Macdonald also said it’s unclear as of Sunday how long Smith’s injury will keep him sidelined. He and the team hope to get those questions answered with the imaging they plan to conduct on Monday.

Smith ultimately never returned to the game on Sunday night.

The Seahawks had declared Smith questionable to return to their “Sunday Night Football” game against the Packers with a knee injury.

The 34-year-old suffered the injury when he took a hit to the legs from a couple of Green Bay defenders. Smith had just thrown away a pass while under pressure when the Packers’ pass-rush got home.

Smith went back to the locker room after a brief trip to the blue medical tent. He returned to the Seahawks’ sideline a few minutes later, but NBC’s broadcast showed him grimacing and shaking his head.

Seahawks QB depth chart

Seattle’s quarterbacks room is down to two after Smith’s injury in the third quarter of “Sunday Night Football.” Here how the team’s depth chart looked heading into Week 15:

Geno Smith
Sam Howell
Jaren Hall (emergency third QB)

The Seahawks acquired Howell in a March trade with the Washington Commanders. Seattle received Howell, a fourth- and a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft in exchange for its third- and fifth-round picks. He’s in for Smith in Week 15 for his second appearance of the season and first since taking one snap in Week 7.

Hall, a former fifth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings, signed to the Seahawks’ practice squad ahead of the season. Seattle elevated him to the active roster ahead of this week.