Seahawks QB Drew Lock: 5 Things to Know About Backup With Geno Smith Out

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is inactive for Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers, so backup Drew Lock will get the start under center.

Smith injured his groin in practice on Thursday and was listed as questionable on this week's injury report. The Pro Bowler tested the injury in a pregame workout at Levi's Stadium, but will ultimately miss the game. And that means Lock will make the first start of his Seahawks career.

"He's been waiting for this opportunity, looking forward to it and preparing for it," Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said of Lock during a press conference on Friday. "If this comes to pass, then he is as ready as he can get."

The 27-year-old's first Seattle start comes against the 9-3, NFC West-leading 49ers. And the Seahawks (6-6), on a three-game losing streak, desperately need a road win to keep pace in the NFC's Wild Card race. This divisional matchup kicked off at 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday in Santa Clara and will air on Fox. Before the teams hit the gridiron, here are five things to know about Lock.

Part of Russell Wilson Broncos Trade

The former Missouri QB played the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Denver Broncos after being selected in the second round of the 2019 draft. Lock appeared in at least five games in each of his seasons in Denver—highlighted by a 2020 campaign that saw the QB start 13 times.

But his time with the Broncos ended abruptly when Denver made the blockbuster acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson prior to last season. Lock was one of the three players, along with tight end Noah Fant and defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and five draft picks included in the haul sent to Seattle as part of the trade. The QB did not see the field last season as Smith took over for Wilson.

Entering Sunday, Lock has appeared in two games this year. He has completed four of 12 passes for 66 yards and an interception.

Lock's NFL Stats, Record As Starter

Lock has appeared in 26 games, starting 21 of them, over his NFL career.

The 6-foot-4 signal-caller has completed 58.9 percent of his passes as a pro for 4,806 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. Across 13 games during the 2020 season, Lock threw for 2,933 yards, 16 touchdowns, and an NFL-worst 15 interceptions. Heading into Sunday's meeting with the 49ers, Lock is 8-13 as a starter. This will be his first nod with the Seahawks.

Ahead of Manning Brothers on SEC Leaderboards

The former first-team All-SEC quarterback was a four-year starter for Missouri from 2015-18. Across his college career, Lock threw for 12,193 yards and 99 touchdowns— highlighted by a junior campaign that saw him throw a career-best 44 scores. By the time Lock was ready to turn pro, he was near the top of many of the conference's leaderboards. He is currently third on both the SEC's all-time passing yards and passing touchdowns lists.

Among the notable names Lock passed on his way toward the top of those lists? Peyton and Eli Manning.

Peyton (Tennessee) ranks fifth in the conference's history in passing touchdowns (89) and sixth in passing yards (11,201). Eli (Ole Miss) is ninth (81 passing touchdowns) and 10th (10,119 passing yards) on those leaderboards, respectively.

Lock NFL Contract

The Seahawks and Lock agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract last offseason for him to return to Seattle as the franchise's backup QB.

Lock's contract includes a $1.75 million signing bonus and $1.75 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac. The signal-caller is earning a base salary of $1.74 million this season and adds a $30,000 bonus for each game in which he is active.

Could Have Played College Basketball

During his high school days at Lee's Summit in Missouri, Lock received plenty of interest from a variety of college football programs. But schools were intrigued by his basketball talents, too.

Lock, the 106th-rated shooting guard in 2015 recruiting class according to 247Sports, received basketball scholarship offers from Wichita State, Oklahoma, and Missouri, among others. And Lock did opt to stay in-state at Missouri, just for a different sport. The top-ranked football recruit in the state and seventh-best QB in the class nationally, per Rivals, signed with the Tigers to continue his athletic career on the gridiron rather than the hardwood.