MUNICH — For as long as he’s the Seahawks quarterback, Geno Smith doesn’t figure to ever fully escape the shadow of Russell Wilson.
But maybe eventually it won’t loom as large as it does in this, his first season as Wilson’s full-time successor as starter.
Proof that shadow is still there came Thursday after the Seahawks practiced here after arriving in town for Sunday’s first NFL regular-season game in Germany against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Smith was one of three players to talk to the media afterward along with coach Pete Carroll.
And at one point, Smith was asked if he’d done any high knee exercises on the flight over.
It was a reference to Wilson’s viral quote last month when Denver made a trip to London to play Jacksonville that he had done some high knee exercises in the aisle of the plane while other players were sleeping to continue rehabbing a hamstring injury.
Smith, though, didn’t bite, handling the situation about as deftly as he has everything else in a 2022 in which he has emerged as an out-of-the-blue MVP candidate in leading Seattle to a surprising 6-3 record.
“Man, I feel like you are trying to do something there,” Smith said to the questioner (who was not part of the regular media that covers the Seahawks). “We were resting and taking our time getting ourselves prepared for landing here, and it was good to come out here and do some knee highs on the field and just get ready for practice tomorrow.”
Smith was also asked about another topic that this week drew comparison between himself and Wilson — his use of a wristband with plays designated on it that he wears on his left wrist. Coach Pete Carroll this week noted the use of the wristband as a reason for the team’s offensive success this season, saying he feels it leads to a smoother and quicker offensive operation while adding that “there was resistance” in previous years “so we didn’t do that before.”
Wilson responded to that comment, saying, “We won a lot of games without one on the wrist. I didn’t know (if) winning or losing matters whether you wore a wristband or not. But I think, (you) do whatever it takes to make sure that we’re rolling and moving and everything else. A few times I (have) definitely worn a wristband depending on the game plan and what we have called and all that stuff.”
And Smith said Thursday he also simply finds using a wristband a way to streamline the play-calling operation, indicating it had nothing to do with how Wilson handled things.
“I’ve done the wrist band a number of times in my career at all levels and I think we’ve done it here, as well,” Smith said. “That’s something that helps just eliminate a coach calling a 10-word play and me calling a 10-word play right after it. It just takes time for all of that to happen. You go right to the wristband. It sort of smooths out the operation and makes things faster.”
it. Hope he gets a nice contract.
