“Pete, after Geno’s third interception he now leads the NFL (in interceptions). Was there any consideration in going with Kenny at all?”

Yes, Pete Carroll was asked whether he considered benching Geno Smith for Kenny Pickett during the Raiders’ loss to the Bears on Sunday.

My immediate thought after hearing that question was this — perhaps it’s time some people gave John Schneider a bit more credit?

I won’t hold my breath on that. Smith’s backers seem to have developed a loyalty usually reserved for Taylor Swift fans, or ‘Swifties’. Even now they refuse to cede any ground, only offering couched support of Sam Darnold whilst saying very little about Smith’s struggles in Vegas.

Nothing sums up the absurdity of this group more than their continued talk of Darnold being ‘pressure sensitive’ — the kind of pseudo-intellectual term that has infiltrated the sport these days.

According to PFF, Smith had 215 drop-backs under pressure compared to Darnold’s 263 last season. Smith’s touchdown-to-interception ratio was 7/13, with Darnold’s at 13/6. Seattle’s new quarterback had the third most big time throws under pressure in 2024, behind only Josh Allen and Joe Burrow. His 11 turnover worthy plays under pressure were two fewer than Smith’s 13.

Two bad games at the end of last season, where there was plenty of blame to go around, created an illusion as to how Darnold performed during a 14-win campaign. Meanwhile, faith in Smith’s credentials as a top-10 quarterback has become such a hill to die on for some it has virtually come to define certain people.

Thus, Schneider became persona non grata for his decision to move on. There’s growing evidence however that he made an inspired move.

Smith has always been a streaky quarterback. Since his especially strong start in 2022, ending after the game in Munich, he’s played 44 games for Seattle and Las Vegas. He has a 62/39 ratio for touchdowns and interceptions. His QBR is a lowly 52.1 since week 10 of 2022. No player has more interceptions in the entire NFL since Smith replaced Russell Wilson.

Smith has thrown seven interceptions in four games this season. Four of his interceptions were thrown when not under pressure — the most in the league when not pressured. His QBR (43.1) is ranked 25th in the league. The Raiders are 1-3 and struggling. Fans are turning quickly, as are former franchise greats.

Nothing about this screams top-10 quarterback, despite the various claims online and the numerous podcasts, tweets and ESPN segments detailing why Seattle’s decision to swap Smith for Darnold was unwise.

I’d also argue there are striking similarities between Smith and Russell Wilson in how they departed the Seahawks. There’s no doubt the very-online ‘Let Russ Cook’ movement contributed to a player feeling increasingly that he should be the focal point of everything. He wanted to be the main man and to play for a preferred coach. Once he got those things, though, it didn’t work out as intended.

Now look at Smith. In a preposterous recent interview with ESPN he claimed he “really didn’t fit the culture” in Seattle, adding, “I finally got my team” upon moving to Las Vegas.

He got to go and play with his preferred coach. “I know what he’s going to bring to the table, and I know that he’s going to mean what he says. That loyalty and honesty mean a lot to me” said Smith — in what felt like a bit of a dig at the situation he left behind.

I’d also suggest, anecdotally, that perhaps the vociferous online support from some sections of the media and Seahawks Twitter (we know Smith is very active on social media) created the same kind of feeling that ‘Let Russ Cook’ did to the mentality of his predecessor.

Having got what he wanted, as with Wilson, it’s already looking like it might go the same way. Take yourself to the AFC West and then watch things crash and burn. He might find that having finally got ‘his team’, that team won’t want him any more unless his performance improves dramatically.

Meanwhile, back in Seattle, Darnold is thriving four games into the season. There’s no guarantee it’ll continue, or that Darnold will take the Seahawks to any kind of promise land in the future. It’s quite difficult at the moment though to not judge Schneider’s quarterback decision very positively.

He traded away a player who is currently struggling, wanted a new contract and turns 35 on the 10th October for a third round pick. He then signed a cheaper 28-year-old quarterback, who doesn’t turn 29 until next June, and that player has hit the ground running. The Seahawks are younger, cheaper and — based on the evidence so far — better at the position.

It doesn’t just stop with the quarterback though. Let’s look at another much discussed move — the DK Metcalf trade. Many suggested this would have a major negative impact on the Seahawks. Losing Metcalf would mean nobody to draw attention away from Jaxon Smith-Njigba, impacting his ability to make plays. The Seahawks would be left with an impotent looking offense.

Smith-Njigba is currently the second most productive receiver in the league. He’s shown absolutely no need to have Metcalf on the field to hold his hand. If it wasn’t for the record-pace of Puka Nacua in LA, Smith-Njigba would be leading the NFL in receiving yards. The pair are the only two receivers averaging 100 yards a game so far. Rather than hold back JSN, he’s thriving.

The Seahawks have 14 completed passes over 20-yards — joint fourth most in the NFL. They have three +40-yard completions, tied for second most. Metcalf has had a solid start to his career in Pittsburgh, especially given Aaron Rodgers’ limitations as a downfield passer these days, but it’s fair to question whether he’s being missed in Seattle — certainly for the $33m a year salary he’s getting from the Steelers.

The Seahawks were able to turn Metcalf into a second round pick (promising rookie Elijah Arroyo) and save a fortune, with the evidence so far that they are not worse off for the decision. Again, isn’t this something the GM should deserve more praise for?

Now let’s do the offensive line. Some people became so irate in March, including within local media, that they absolutely hammered the Seahawks for not signing any veteran interior offensive linemen. We heard how it’d be a catastrophe if they didn’t sign a player like Teven Jenkins (who’s played two snaps for the Browns so far this year) or Mekhi Becton (who played very poorly for the Chargers in weeks two and three, before missing the Giants game).

The Seahawks understandably chose not to outbid the Vikings when they went above and beyond to bring in Will Fries without giving him a medical exam, fresh off recovery from a serious leg injury. Minnesota also signed Ryan Kelly. The general feeling was, why weren’t the Seahawks being aggressive like this?

Well, after four weeks, the Vikings’ line is a disaster. They’ve given up a 13.1% sack rate so far — the fourth highest by any team since data began being collected seven years ago. Kelly is suffering with concussions. Fries has given up eight pressures — one more than Anthony Bradford — with a salary difference of $16m.

The Seahawks’ offensive line meanwhile, while certainly not flawless, seems to have taken a major step forward this year:

Further improvements will be required in the future and Bradford’s spot at right guard certainly feels less than assured. Yet Schneider’s decision to show restraint in free agency, appoint proper coaches and spend the #18 pick on Grey Zabel is paying dividends so far.

Let’s keep going. What about the appointment of Klint Kubiak to replace Ryan Grubb? This would’ve been a joint venture with the Head Coach but they simply had to get this one right. The catastrophe of the Grubb experiment put a lot of pressure on the Seahawks to not repeat the error. They had to avoid Macdonald being placed with the wrong offensive partner for a second year in a row.

There is still plenty of room for growth on the offense but they have the sixth ranked unit per DVOA after four games. That’s a great start given the amount of change this year. Kubiak’s staff have also done wonders to improve the O-line performance, settle Darnold into his new team and incorporate multiple rookies into impact roles. I’d say they got this one spot on.

Add in the appointment of Mike Macdonald as his hand-picked replacement for Carroll 18 months ago and really, Seattle’s GM deserves a lot more credit than he’s getting.

The point of this piece isn’t to say Schneider doesn’t make mistakes. All GM’s make mistakes. Howie Roseman used the 21st overall pick in the 2020 draft on receiver Jalen Raegor. The player taken 22nd overall was Justin Jefferson.

However, Schneider received a not insignificant amount of criticism from fans and media for his moves in the off-season this year. Right now, it looks like he got every big call right. You could even say 2025 was one of Schneider’s best ever off-seasons.