Drew Lock returns, alternates with Geno Smith in a Seahawks QB comp that will take a while
The Seahawks’ quarterback competition is back on. And changed.
Thirteen minutes before Sunday’s practice, before any other quarterback, Drew Lock walked back onto the field. He returned from a five-day quarantine after a positive COVID-19 test.
He also returned to a changed competition with Geno Smith to determine who succeeds the traded Russell Wilson as Seattle’s starter this season.
Lock and Smith, who started the first two preseason games, alternated series with the starting offense throughout 11-on-11 scrimmaging Sunday.
That wasn’t as clear a change as Tuesday, when Lock was the definitive starting quarterback in all drills and scrimmaging — an hour before the team announced his COVID case.
But Sunday was progress for Lock from where he’d been the first three weeks of training camp, and since arriving in March from Denver in Seattle’s trade of Wilson to the Broncos. From April into mid-August, he’d worked almost exclusively with the second offense, Smith with the ones .
“The plan has been adjusted,” coach Pete Carroll said, as coy as he often likes to be.
“I’ll talk to you more about it later in the week. Or, I won’t. I’m not sure.”
The Seahawks play their final of three preseason games Friday at Dallas.
Carroll said he talked to Lock to reassure him last week. The 25-year-old QB was frustrated and disappointed the coronavirus ruined what was supposed to be his first week starting.
Lock was to be the number-one quarterback for last week’s preseason loss to the Chicago Bears. Then the team announced his COVID case.
Smith, 31, started for the second straight game. He and the starting offense failed to score when he was in the game — and got booed by the Seahawks’ home fans. Seattle converted 1 of its first 11 first downs, committed 13 penalties, punted 10 times and fell behind 17-0 before Smith, with an ice pack on his right knee, exited at the start of the third quarter.
Smith said he was disappointed in the “self-inflicted wounds:” three dropped passes, three false-start penalties and more mistakes.
Lock watched it all from his couch, while with COVID.
“Yeah, this was really frustrating for him, you know what I mean,” Carroll said Sunday. “Here was his day, and he just felt terrible in practice on the field. Tuesday, that was his day to start and get going with the guys, and all that. Our practice schedule that was the one (full) day we had in that (short) week (from the preseason opener at Pittsburgh the previous Saturday). And, really, he couldn’t finish the post-practice work. He was just a mess. So, that’s a shame.
“So, I still need to still him play. I still need to see him fit in with our guys and all that. He’s done really well. It’s just that opportunity was going to be a big one.
“We’ll see how it goes this week. He’ll...planning on (him) playing a lot this week. He’ll play a lot.”
Sunday, Lock was the number-two QB behind Smith in early work passing to the wide receivers to begin practice. When they got to 11-on-11 scrimmages in the red zone and in the middle of the field, Smith and Lock each took series with starting receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and behind the starting offensive line of (left tackle to right tackle) rookie Charles Cross, Phil Haynes, Austin Blythe, Gabe Jackson and rookie Abe Lucas.
Lock appears to be establishing more of a rapport on the field with Metcalf.
When the two failed to connect for a touchdown in the end zone because cornerback John Reid batted away a pass on a quick out route in the red-zone scrimmage, Lock and Metcalf went to a side field. They went through the same pass, running the same route against air multiple times while the rest of the team took an extended water break.
At the end of a seven-on-seven scrimmage, rookie cornerback Coby Bryant broke up Lock’s low throw deep over the middle to Metcalf. Metcalf jogged back to the huddle and shook Lock’s hand.
“He did OK today, yeah. He seemed to bounce back,” Carroll said of Lock. “He’s six, seven days into it now, so he’s in good shape as far as getting back, but you never know until you get out and start running around.
“He hung in there tough, so that’s good.”
Carroll acknowledged for the first time the 16 days between the final preseason game and the opener Sept. 12 against Wilson and Lock’s former Broncos at Lumen Field. The coach said that long break with one fewer preseason game than the NFL used to have means the Seahawks don’t need to determine the winner of Smith vs. Lock at the end of the preseason finale Friday in Dallas.
“I don’t think there’s any date pressure on me in that regard. Yeah, I think you are right on it,” Carroll said. “I’m going to take the time it takes to figure it out, and make sure we have all the information that we need. I’ve got to wait and see what happens. ...Geno’s done a good job. Geno needs a little more help from some guys to catch the football for him. He’s handled it well. ...
“We’ll see what happens this week. And we do have really good weeks of practice coming up. This week’s a good one. Next week is a great one. And the one after it is a great one.
“So we’ll use all of that, if we need it.”
This story was originally published August 21, 2022 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Drew Lock returns, alternates with Geno Smith in a Seahawks QB comp that will take a while."
