Will the Seattle Seahawks extend quarterback Geno Smith or use their early draft pick on a young playmaker? General manager John Schneider apparently has a plan there, after all, according to him, “good quarterbacks don’t grow on trees. “

The Seattle Seahawks are still in the midst of a major rebuild. A key question to be answered this offseason is at quarterback.

Last season’s established starter, Geno Smith, is headed for free agency. So the Seahawks either have the option to negotiate a new contract with the 32-year-old veteran or let the playmaker move on to another team.

What are the Seahawks doing at the quarterback position?

If both parties cannot agree on a new contract and the Seahawks desperately want to keep Smith, there is also the possibility of tying the quarterback to the team for another year via a franchise tag. But this would be rather surprising in the case of Smith.

If Smith were to become a free agent, however, it should also be clear that Seattle is making the transition at the quarterback position as well and selecting a young playmaker in the upcoming draft.

Smith extension and draft quarterback?

The Athletic now reports that Seahawks officials are even considering the possibility of both retaining Smith long-term and drafting a new quarterback. According to the report, head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider in particular want to continue working with Smith.

But in the course of the current NFL Combine, Schneider also indicated that they would consider an early quarterback pick regardless of Smith’s situation.

The Seahawks hold the fifth pick in this year’s draft, so a top quarterback prospect should not be out of Seattle’s reach. In addition, the team from the northwest of the USA still owns the 20th pick in the first round.

Schneider: “Don’t grow on trees “

Over the past decade, the franchise has been wildly successful, which is why such high picks are in absolute short supply in Seattle. “When you can’t draft until the end of the first round, the best quarterback prospects aren’t available,” Carroll said. “That’s why we have to take advantage of that this year. We’ll see how it goes. “

GM Schneider also pointed to the importance of this draft, justifying the idea of drafting a new quarterback early despite negotiations with Smith: “Because they don’t grow on trees. It’s the hardest position to get a talent, a guy that everybody is confident in.”

This year’s crop of quarterbacks is particularly well-stocked in the draft. Most notably, Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and even Will Levis are highly touted. If the Seahawks want to play it safe, they could also still trade up in picks.