It has been eight years since Geno Smith was a regular starter in the NFL. After the New York Jets drafted Smith in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, he started all 16 games as a rookie and then 13 games in 2014.Do you need some perspective on just Gerrit Cole Jersey how long it's really been?Smith was named the Jets' week one starter in 2014 after beating out Michael Vick. After spending the last few years of his career as a backup, Vick retired in 2017.As for Smith, this is a golden opportunity to prove he has what it takes to be an NFL starter. The opportunity came about this offseason when longtime quarterback Ru sell Wilson was traded to Denver, setting up a competition between Smith and , who came to Seattle as part of that trade. And with a strong, consistent performance throughout camp and the preseason, Smith won the starting job."I'm thankful for the opportunity and grateful," Smith said. "I have a lot of work ahead of Carlos Beltran Jersey me. That was my mindset from the start, getting ready to go out there and win games. This is step one of that proce s but it's really about winning. None of this will matter if we don't go out and win the games we're supposed to win."Winning typically cures everything, which is something Smith struggled with early on in his career. In fact, he went 12-18 in four seasons with the Jets. On top of that, Smith had to deal with the repercu sions that came from his infamous locker room incident in which his jaw was broken by a sucker punch. Whether or not that incident directly impacted Smith's Alex Bregman Jersey chances of landing a starting gig is debatable, but he did remain a backup for the past seven seasons."It means a lot," Smith said. "I'm pretty sure it's something I've been preparing for, and the reality is that it's just Step 1. It's just the beginning. I've got to make sure that I'm ready to go out there and win and play 17 games and more. For me, I'm grateful. I'm thankful. I'm forever indebted to the Seattle Seahawks organization, but it's time to get Craig Biggio Jersey to work."Smith signed with Seattle in 2019, backed up Wilson for three seasons, and re-signed in April on a one-year, $3.5 million deal. He has a 13-21 career record as a starter, including going 1-2 last season while Wilson was out with a finger injury.Scroll to ContinueOverall Smith wasn't terrible in 2021. He finished the season with five touchdowns and one interception, with a solid pa ser rating of 103.0, but the team was extremely run-heavy in that span. For example, in Smith's first start in a 23-20 overtime lo s to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Alex Collins carried Seattle' Justin Verlander Jersey s offense rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown."In the games that I played last year, the numbers speak for themselves, Smith said. "The things I showed most and continue to try and do out there is to make the right reads, have the right footwork, make the right run checks, and make sure there are no negatives."I pride myself on making sure guys are in the right position and always being that coordinator on the field. I believe in my ability and I know I can make a ton of plays with my arms and my legs. It's about moving the chains and scoring points."Smith took the vast majority of the first-team reps during the offseason program and training camp then started all . Lock was set to start the second preseason game until he tested positive for COVID-19, causing him to be away from the team. Any mi sed time during an open competition is a disadvantage which appears to be a contributing factor to why Lock lost the quarterback competition. Whether or not Smith Hector Rondon Jersey maintains the starting job or if Lock starts at some point is still yet to be seen. However, we will find out soon enough as Seattle's first game of the regular season kicks off on September 12. .