Pete Carroll Confirms Geno Smith as Thursday Night’s Starting Quarterback

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith sustained an injury to his elbow after being hit by Rams defensive end Aaron Donald during Sunday’s game. While the extent of the injury is still unknown, head coach Pete Carroll expressed optimism about Smith’s chances of playing in Thursday night’s game against the 49ers.

Carroll mentioned on Seattle Sports 710 that Smith was able to return to the game and throw a pass on Seattle’s final offensive possession, which is a positive sign. He is currently receiving extensive treatment for a contusion at the bottom of his triceps, but Carroll expressed confidence that Smith will be able to play against San Francisco.

According to Carroll, the medical staff is closely monitoring Smith’s condition and while they are still examining it, they have a good idea of what’s going on. The main concern is how quickly the soreness in Smith’s elbow settles down. Carroll pointed out that as long as Smith is functional, the issue revolves around how sore he is. Despite the uncertainty, Carroll seems confident that Smith will make it back in time for Thursday’s game.

When asked if he meant that Smith would be able to play on Thursday, Carroll said “I would think so.” In case Smith is unavailable, Drew Lock would serve as Seattle’s starting quarterback. Lock had a poor performance on Sunday as he went 2-of-6 for three yards and threw an interception.