NFC West starting quarterbacks, ranked worst to best

You might actually be surprised where the 49ers' own starter ended up on our list.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (L) and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (R)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (L) and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (R) / Michael Owens/GettyImages
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Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

No. 2: Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

It was actually tough placing a Hawks quarterback, Geno Smith, above Brock Purdy. And Purdy did have the last laugh over Smith during the Wild Card game last season in which Purdy's team came out on top and advanced over Seattle.

That said, Smith's resurgent 2022 season was fun to watch (for most non-San Francisco fans) en route to his first-ever Pro Bowl and a Comeback Player of the Year award.

For those doubting him, one doesn't simply toss 30 touchdowns against 11 interceptions as a fluke. That was a legit-good season by the 32 year old.

Smith, who completed a league-best 69.8 percent of his passes for a Seahawks team that was supposed to be awful in the post-Russell Wilson era, still has some legitimate offensive weapons at his disposal, including wide receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. And, with a reinvigorated offensive line, Smith and the Hawks offense should stay within the top 10 in 2023.

What separated Smith from Purdy, aside from that whole Pro Bowl thing, is the fact the former has far more experience and a much greater sample size.

Granted, that sample size has only one 2022-like season, but even Purdy's brief stint didn't come close to that.