Will Dave Canales bring Geno Smith from Seattle to Tampa Bay?

SEATTLE — After 13 seasons at Pete Carroll’s side, Dave Canales will step down as quarterbacks coach for the Seahawks and join Tampa Bay as offensive coordinator.

Tampa Bay may not know who will play quarterback after Tom Brady retires, but Canales will be responsible for naming games after emerging from a long list of candidates to take over Byron Leftwich, who was fired after the 2022 campaign .

Canales helped lead the Seahawks to the ninth-ranked offense in the league last year, and he will have cut out his job to join a Tampa Bay team that finished 25th.

Could Canales try to bring his biggest success story, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, with him?

That’s the big question Seahawks fans are asking after this move, but Locked on Seahawks host Corbin Smith isn’t overly concerned.

“All signs continue to point to Geno Smith staying in Seattle,” Smith said. “I don’t think that one departure, as much as Dave Canales was involved in his rise last season, will make Geno Smith not be in Seattle — and I don’t think he’ll suddenly make the Seahawks hesitate, to sign him again.”

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Smith only started five games from 2015 through 2021, serving as a backup for the Jets, Giants, Chargers and Seahawks during that time. After Russell Wilson was traded to Denver, Smith took over as a starter from Seattle and shocked the league by throwing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns while finishing ninth in MVP voting and winning the Comeback Player of the Year award.

It’s hard to say it was all because of Canales, but it’s not hard to understand why Tampa Bay wants to bring him on board.

As for Smith, the Seahawks remain interested in bringing him back and as long as the two sides can agree on a price – which could top $30 million a year – he is expected to return for Pete Carroll in 2023.