The K.J. Wright reason Geno Smith was pissed vs. 49ers
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The Seattle Seahawks picked up a huge win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11. Trailing by four points late in the fourth quarter, Geno Smith engineered a clutch, game-winning drive that he capped off with a 13-yard touchdown run in the final seconds of the contest.
It was Smith's first win over the Seahawks' NFC West rivals and the veteran passer had a little extra motivation. "Somewhere in the third quarter I looked over to their bench and I saw K.J. [Wright] standing over there and I was like… 'Man, we gotta beat these boys.' I saw K.J. [and] it just kinda pissed me off a little bit. He's a Seahawk, man, he shouldn't have those colors on," Smith explained on the Richard Sherman Podcast.
Wright was a fixture on the Seahawks' defense for a decade. The linebacker helped Seattle win the Super Bowl in 2013 and made his only career Pro Bowl with the team in 2016. He spent one season with the Las Vegas Raiders before retiring in 2021.
After hanging up his cleats, Wright was hired by 49ers' head coach Kyle Shanahan as the team's defensive quality control coach. The former Seahawks’ defender has held the position for the entire 2024 season, so it's unclear why his presence on the enemy's sideline didn't motivate Smith when the two teams met in Week 6. The 49ers won that game 36-24.
Geno Smith led the Seahawks to a big win over the 49ers in Week 11
Smith realized the importance of the Week 11 win as the Seahawks improved to 5-5 on the season and are now in a three-way tie for second place behind the 6-4 Arizona Cardinals. Despite having a healthy Christian McCaffrey for Sunday's clash with the Seahawks, the 49ers suffered an infuriating defeat as the defense was unable to protect a 17-13 lead late in the fourth quarter.
"Our team was playing so well throughout the game, I just felt like we had to get it done. I was actually just smiling as I was running on the field for that last drive. I just knew it. I knew we were gonna win," Smith said on the Richard Sherman Podcast.
The Seahawks had veteran wideout DK Metcalf back from injury for the Week 11 matchup. While Metcalf contributed seven receptions for 70 yards, second-year WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the team with 10 catches for 110 yards. Both of Seattle's scores came on the ground as Kenneth Walker III and Smith had rushing touchdowns. With the win, the Seahawks remain in the hunt for the division crown.
While Smith isn't the flashiest quarterback in the league, he has kept Seattle competitive since being named the starter in 2022. With the Seahawks once again in the playoff hunt, Seattle will likely extend Smith, whose contract expires after the 2025 season.
The Seahawks have another huge divisional battle in Week 12 when they take on the Cardinals at home. Seattle will play Arizona twice in the next three weeks as the team has an opportunity to take control of the NFC West.
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