GENO SMITH BLUNT THOUGHTS ON PETE CARROLL FIRING

Geno Smith expressed feeling stung by the Seattle Seahawks' decision to fire Pete Carroll. After Smith led the team to consecutive 9-8 seasons, Carroll was let go after 14 seasons as head coach.

The Seahawks hired former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as his replacement. Smith opened up about his thoughts on the organization's decision during a recent press conference.

"That day is a day I'll probably remember forever, just because of how things happened for me here," Smith said, via NFL.com. "Obviously, Coach Carroll is a big influence on my career. Helped me out a bunch when I came to this organization. Really helped me, thrust me into the spotlight that I'm in now. 

"For me, it was kind of a terrible moment to see someone that I love so much, having to part ways with him. But that's the way of the NFL. That's the way things go. Very excited for what we have here now and just the direction we're heading in."

Smith, now 33, returns to lead a new offensive in 2024. He said he's had "great communication" with Macdonald this offseason.

"From what I've seen so far, he's got a vision," Smith said. "He's got a plan. He already laid it out for us as a team, and it's our job to help him and his job to help us get there."

THE UNDERRATED LINE:
Geno tallied 4,282 passing yards and 30 touchdowns in 2022, and last season, he posted a 92.1 quarterback rating. It's not surprising that Smith would be upset that the coach who resurrected his career was let go; the real question is how he will respond to this season to the new regime in Seattle. Will Geno continue to progress, or will he take a step backward? As we all know, the NFL is literally all about how you delivered in your last game.