Geno Smith

Smith married his college girlfriend, Hayley Eastham, in July 2015 following a long-term relationship. The couple has a son, Seven Santana Smith, who was born on July 17, 2019, and named after Smith's football jersey number.

Athletic talent runs broadly through Smith's family. His great-uncle Danny Smith was an All-American hurdler at Florida State, his cousin Mel Bratton played running back for the Miami Hurricanes in the 1980s, and his cousin Jeremiah Smith became an All-American wide receiver at Ohio State. Smith's family roots trace back to Bimini in the Bahamas, and his nickname originated with his grandfather, who was known as "Big Geno."

Smith is an outspoken Christian who regularly shares reflections on his faith. Prior to the 2023 football season, he adjusted his lifestyle by adopting a pescatarian diet, cutting out beef and poultry.

Smith played collegiate football for the West Virginia Mountaineers from 2009 to 2012 while majoring in English. After serving as a backup during his freshman season, he took over as the starting quarterback as a sophomore in 2010, leading the Big East Conference in passing yards and efficiency early in the season and concluding the year with 2,763 passing yards and 24 touchdowns.

His production expanded significantly under head coach Dana Holgorsen's passing offense in 2011. Smith set single-season school records for completions, attempts, and yards, culminating in a historic 70-33 victory over Clemson in the 2012 Orange Bowl. In that game, he earned Orange Bowl MVP honors after throwing for 401 yards and tying bowl records with six touchdown passes and seven total touchdowns.

As a senior in 2012, Smith led the NCAA with 42 passing touchdowns and threw for 4,205 yards. His standout performances that year included an eight-touchdown, 656-yard passing display in a 70-63 win over Baylor. He completed his collegiate career with 11,662 passing yards and 98 passing touchdowns.

The New York Jets selected Smith in the second round with the 39th overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. He was named the starting quarterback as a rookie, throwing for 3,046 yards and rushing for six touchdowns across 16 starts, setting a Jets rookie record for passing yards. In the 2014 regular season finale against the Miami Dolphins, Smith posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating, throwing for 358 yards and three touchdowns.

Smith lost his starting role in 2015 after suffering a fractured jaw during a preseason locker room altercation with teammate IK Enemkpali. In 2016, his season ended prematurely when he suffered a torn ACL during a start against the Baltimore Ravens. Following the expiration of his rookie contract, Smith signed with the New York Giants in 2017, where his lone start made him the first African-American quarterback to start a game for the franchise. He subsequently spent the 2018 season with the Los Angeles Chargers as a backup.

Smith signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2019, initially serving as the backup to Russell Wilson. After Wilson was traded ahead of the 2022 season, Smith won the starting competition and authored one of the most remarkable career revivals in league history. He led the NFL with a 69.8 percent completion percentage, threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns, and guided Seattle to a playoff berth. For his efforts, he was selected to his first Pro Bowl and won both AP and PFWA NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

In March 2023, Smith signed a three-year contract extension with the Seahawks and continued his strong play, earning a second consecutive Pro Bowl selection while setting an NFL single-season record with seven go-ahead touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and overtime. During the 2024 campaign, he broke his own Seahawks single-season records by throwing for 4,320 yards, completing 407 passes on 578 attempts, and posting a 70.4 percent completion rate.

In March 2025, Seattle traded Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a third-round draft selection, reuniting him with his former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. In his debut with Las Vegas, Smith set a franchise record for passing yards in a debut with 362 yards in a victory against the New England Patriots, and he later signed a two-year extension with the club. He started 15 games for the Raiders during the 2025 season, throwing for 3,025 yards and 19 touchdowns.

In March 2026, the Raiders traded Smith back to the New York Jets along with a seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick, marking his return to the team that originally drafted him.