Sunday night’s Lions win was a lucrative one for Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.
Smith’s contract included a number of incentive clauses, including one that doubled his playing time incentives if the team made the playoffs. Field Yates of ESPN notes that Smith picked up $1 million in playing time incentives by taking every offensive snap and the Lions win gave him another $1 million because it made the Seahawks the No. 7 seed in the NFC.
Hitting 4,000 passing yards and making the Pro Bowl while throwing 20 touchdowns added another $1.5 million to Smith’s bag for the season, so the bet on making Smith the starter this season paid off very well for both the team and the player.
“I’m focused on football right now, but, you know, the thing is that it’s a business,” Smith said after Sunday’s game, via Larry Stone of the Seattle Times. “Football is a business. A lot of people have a lot of decisions to make. That’s where I’ll leave it at. I feel great about where I stand with this organization and my teammates and everybody else, but it’s always — it’s always a business first. So I look at it like that. I understand that, and I have to handle my business as well.”
Smith and the Seahawks will be on the road against the 49ers this week. No more incentives will be on the line for Smith, but a good outing will add to the already strong case he’s made for a 2023 contract.