Seahawks coach Pete Carroll buried the lead Friday night. Carroll was nearly two minutes into his opening statement at the postgame press conference when he announced that Geno Smith had won the starting quarterback job. Smith will start the season opener when former quarterback Russell Wilson returns to town with the Broncos. “He’s earned it. He won the job,” Carroll said. “We were spoiled for time on Drew (Lock). He simply ran out of time trying to do so. I am clear on that.” Lock contracted COVID-19 days before his scheduled start in the second preseason game. He didn’t start in the final preseason game Friday night against the Cowboys, but saw extensive action. In nine possessions, he threw three interceptions and a touchdown and the Seahawks scored 20 points with Lock as their quarterback. But it was clear from the moment Smith re-signed with the Seahawks that it was his job to lose. He spent two seasons as Wilson’s backup and has 34 career starts, giving him a lock lead from the first day of the contest. “Geno, he knows our stuff and he’s very good at it and he understands it and commands everything we do,” Carroll said. “It will give us the best opportunity to play some great football right off the bat.” Carroll told the team the decision in the locker room after the 27-26 loss to the Cowboys. “It wasn’t a major reaction,” Smith said. “Obviously, I’m grateful for the opportunity and grateful, but I have a lot of work ahead of me. That’s been my mindset from the beginning that I’m going to go out there and win games. This is only the first step in the process, but it’s really about winning. None of that will matter if we don’t go out and win the games we’re supposed to win.”
