The Seattle Seahawks' playoff chances had been dashed before Sunday's matchup against the Rams, but the team's 30-25 win meant a massive potential payday for quarterback Geno Smith. ESPN reports Smith hit three of his contract escalators during the game, scoring him a cool $6 million in total. They were:
- Win 10 games or make the playoffs: In winning the season finale, the team ended with a 10-7 record.
- Finish with 4,282 passing yard: He needed 185 passing yards to get there, and managed to do so in the fourth quarter with time left on the clock. He ended with 4,320 passing yards.
- End with a 69.7555% completion rate or better: He completed 20 of 27 attempts in the game, giving him a 70.4% completion rate for the season. Per the team, he's the 20th NFL quarterback to ever finish at or above 70%.
Bleacher Report adds there were two other escalators Smith did not hit that would have brought him another $5 million: have 30 passing touchdowns (he ended with 21) and a 100.874 passer rating (he ended with a 93.2 rating). ESPN explains escalators aren't the same as incentives, which are secured the moment a player hits them. In Smith's case, the $6 million in escalator money will be tacked onto the $10 million roster bonus he's set to receive on March 16 so long as he is still part of the Seahawks organization at that time. Writing for the Seattle Times, Matt Calkins weighs in on the likelihood of Smith still being with the Seahawks at that time:
- "Smith may be prolific—his 4,320 yards this season are among the top five in the NFL—but his mistakes factored heavily into the Seahawks' playoff-dooming seven losses. So some are asking whether they will bring him back for another year when they can save over $30 million by cutting him. ... But I also don't know that they can find a better quarterback than Smith next season. Not in free agency, and not with the 18th pick in the draft, which is where the Seahawks sit now."
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