Geno Smith is resurrecting his career with the Seahawks and Cardinals know it's for real

For the longest time, it seemed as if the biggest thing Geno Smith would be remembered for was getting his jaw broken when he got hit in the face by a New York Jets teammate over a $600 unpaid debt.

It was training camp in 2015, Smith’s third year in the NFL. He got involved in a locker room altercation with defensive end IK Enemkpali. The argument ended with Enemkpali throwing a punch. Enemkpali was released a short time later and Smith would be sidelined indefinitely.

By the time Smith was healthy enough to return, then head coach Todd Bowles had already found a new starting quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick. Smith’s days as a starter were basically over almost before they even began.

Six years later, after mostly fading from view, look at Geno Smith today.

Following Russell Wilson’s offseason trade to the Broncos, Smith edged out Drew Lock for the starting job with the Seahawks, and although the team is struggling with a 2-3 record, Smith has been a sensation in Seattle.

He leads the league in completion percentage (72.5) and has the NFL’s best QBR (79.7). He leads all quarterbacks with six deep balls (passes of at least 20 yards in the air) for touchdowns. He’s tied for seventh with nine touchdown passes, 12th in passing yards (1,305) and has been intercepted just twice.

The Seahawks would be a lot scarier if their defense wasn’t so bad, but when the Cardinals (2-3) travel to Lumen Field for their game in Seattle on Sunday, they’ll need to be on their toes to contend with Geno Smith, who is in the process of completely invigorating his career.

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Coach Kliff Kingsbury couldn’t be happier for Smith.

“I love it. I’ve cheered for him for a long time,” the Cardinals coach said Wednesday, noting two close coaching friends of his, Jake Spavital and Dana Holgorsen coach Smith at West Virginia. “I used to watch him a bunch. His arm talent is tremendous, as good as anybody in the league.

“He went into a tough situation (with the Jets). I think quarterback, of all positions, is situational at times; where you get drafted and who they surround you with. It can go south in a hurry, but to show that type of mental toughness the resiliency he’s shown, and the way he’s playing you can see he has something to prove.”

Cardinals wide receiver A.J. Green said he isn’t surprised to see Smith doing so well in Seattle. Although he doesn’t know the quarterback, personally, many of Green’s friends have worked out with Smith over the years during the offseason and Smith has a distinctive reputation in the gym and weight room.

“They say he’s one of the most hard-working players out there,” Green said. “He’s tireless. That’s what it is and whenever the opportunity presents itself, you’ve just got to seize it and that’s what he’s doing right now. He’s playing good. He’s put in the work though, so the moment has not been too big for him.”

If Smith keeps playing at his present pace, he could be a leading candidate for Comeback Player of the Year. Former NFL MVP Rich Gannon said it’s a two-man race right now, in his opinion.

“If it’s not (Giants running back) Saquon Barkley, it may be Geno Smith,” Gannon said on CBS Sports. “Look at what he’s done. He was a major disappointment his first four years with the Jets. … He’s a different player. He’s taking good care of the football. He’s completing 72 percent, the Seahawks are scoring 34 points a game and he’s throwing for over 300 yards a game.

“This is a different Geno Smith we’re seeing in Seattle.”

As good as Smith has been, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll felt the need on Wednesday to light a fire under his starting quarterback by touting the exploits of Lock in recent practices and suggesting it could be anyone’s job in the near future.

“He’s doing everything we could ask of him right now,” Carroll said of Smith, adding, “It’s good, too, that he’s got Drew nipping at his heels every day in practice. Every day in practice. Drew does stuff. He’s got good stuff going right there in support of what Geno does. It just keeps everybody on their ties. It’s the whole thing about competition: It’s good and we like (that) it continues to be that way.”

If the Cardinals hope to even their record at 3-3 before they welcome back star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins next week from his six-game suspension, they know they’ll have to find a way to slow down Smith and contain his top two pass catchers, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.

“I was a big Geno Smith fan when he was at West V,” Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray said Wednesday. “He’s playing real hot right now. He’s playing really well. We’ve got to be locked in this week because he’s playing probably some of the best football any quarterback in this league is playing right now.

“The defense will be ready. We’ve got to be ready on offense to put up points and we know that.”

Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson said a key to stopping Smith is Arizona being “sound in our coverages and making sure we’re showing different looks to kind of confuse him a little bit.” Fellow safety Budda Baker added, “He’s definitely a guy we’re going to have to go after.”

“He’s not been a starter for a while,” Baker said, “but you can see he’s been learning, he’s been taking those mental reps and you can see it on the field by watching the tape.”

The tape doesn’t lie, either, according to Kingsbury.

“You turn the tape on, I don’t care who you are, if you watch it and you didn’t know names, you’d think he’s a top five guy,” Kingsbury said. “He’s playing that well. … I’m really proud of what he’s done honestly. Just knowing him like I do. I just hope he has a really bad game Sunday.”

Have an opinion on the Arizona Cardinals? Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic.com and follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac. Listen to him live on Fox Sports 910-AM every Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 on Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch. 

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals face NFL comeback candidate in Seahawks QB Geno Smith