Few quarterbacks in the country had more hype surrounding them than Geno Smith entering the 2013 NFL Draft. The Mirimar High School prospect turned WVU legend set a wealth of records during his time at West Virginia.
Despite all of his collegiate accomplishments, Smith fell to the second round of the draft.
Former Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel was the lone QB taken in the first round. Smith finally heard his name called the following day, as the New York Jets selected him with the 39th overall pick.
At the time, the Jets were two years removed from back-to-back AFC Championship game appearances under then-head coach Rex Ryan, who would be let go after the conclusion of the 2014 season – Smith’s second year in the league. The franchise was in decline.
2014 was also the last time Smith was a team’s regular starting quarterback. He went six years without starting multiple games in a season, missed all of the 2019 season, and suited up for two other franchises before winding up in Seattle. An opportunity arose in 2021 when he started three games, and played in four total, for the Seahawks in place of injured franchise quarterback Russell Wilson.
Wilson was out the door in a trade with Denver months later. Smith earned the Seattle starting quarterback job, beating out former Missouri quarterback Drew Lock.
Smith has been off and running ever since.
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The former Mountaineer led Seattle to a third-consecutive win on Sunday, handing the New York Giants (one of his former teams) just their second loss of the season. A 23-of-34, 212-yard and two-touchdown performance continued Smith’s redemption story.
Slaying the Giants, and looking good in the process, continues to catapult Smith into the NFL MVP conversation.
His numbers are solid.
- Completion percentage: 72.7 — 1st in the NFL
- Passer Rating: 107.2 — 3rd in the NFL
- QBR: 66.7 — 4th in the NFL
- Touchdown passes: 13 — Tied for 5th in the NFL
- Interceptions: 3 — Tied for the 5th fewest (among QBs with at least 100 pass attempts)
- Passing yards: 1,924 — 8th in the NFL
But does he have a chance at being named MVP?
Odds out of Vegas range drastically, with some companies giving him just an 80 to 1 chance. Other sites are more favorable.
DraftKings gives Smith 28 to 1 odds of winning the MVP after the first eight weeks of the season. That’s the sixth-best odds of any player in the league.
Smith’s odds have been improving steadily for weeks. And there will be prime opportunities to improve them in the weeks ahead. Smith and Seattle face fellow MVP candidates Kyler Murray, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Patrick Mahomes over the course of the next seven games.
