Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks have had a tough stretch over the last few weeks, and the road doesn’t seem to get any easier in Week 15. The Seahawks are currently on a four-game losing streak and desperately need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Over the last month, Seattle has played the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers twice, and the Dallas Cowboys — and lost them all. Next up, in Week 15, is a Monday Night Football contest against a talented but angry Philadelphia Eagles team that is on their own skid right now.
With as hard as the road has been as of late for the Seahawks, they still have a chance at the postseason with a win tonight. They currently sit as the ninth seed in the NFC but are just one win behind a wild card spot at 6-7. But, before they can answer any questions regarding the playoffs, they need to know if they will have their starting quarterback under center tonight.
Is Geno Smith Going To Play Tonight?
Update 12/18/2023: Although questionable for most of the week, Seahawks QB Geno Smith is in fact active for Seattle tonight. However, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with Smith still nursing a groin injury, Drew Lock will get the start.
Seahawks’ QB Drew Lock is expected to start tonight vs. the Eagles despite the fact that Geno Smith is active.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 19, 2023
It certainly is a game that the Seahawks are going to want to have all hands on deck for, but that possibility doesn’t look good as of right now.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, while Smith has not yet been ruled out for the game, there is a growing sentiment that his availability is in doubt.
“With Seahawks’ QB Geno Smith listed as questionable for Monday night due to his groin injury, there is a real chance that Seattle’s backup QB Drew Lock will start vs. the Eagles, per sources.”
On Thursday of last week, Smith showed up on the injury report with a groin issue for the first time, where he was listed officially as a limited participant in practice and eventually missed the Week 14 contest as a result.
Unfortunately, it looks like something that could force him to miss another important late-season matchup.
As late as Monday morning, Smith’s status remained more than questionable.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that it would be “an uphill battle” for Smith to play and fans would likely see Drew Lock tonight.
From @GMFB: The #Ravens lost RB Keaton Mitchell (knee) for the season; #Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is in the protocol; #Seahawks QB Geno Smith (groin) has an uphill battle to play; #Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is sick. pic.twitter.com/F9NdRwPGWg
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 18, 2023
Who Steps Up If Smith Is Out?
If Smith were forced to miss another week or is knocked out of the game for any reason, the next man up to try and keep the season alive is Lock.
Lock has played sparingly this season with only three total appearances. The latest coming against the 49ers last week where he finished the game with 269 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
MORE: Seattle Seahawks Playoff Scenarios and Chances: Can They Halt Their Losing Streak?
However, despite the lack of results or game action this season, Lock has shown talent throughout his career but hasn’t quite put it all together yet. If called upon once again in Week 15, he’ll be tasked with doing what he was unable to do the week prior — win to keep the season’s hopes alive.
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!