Imagine being 10 years old and spending Christmastime in the hospital.
Imagine being a parent of a child spending Christmastime in the hospital.
Geno Smith can.
The Seahawks' quarterback spent some of his Christmas time, his one day off from football this week, at Seattle Children's hospital. It's where the sickest kids and most complex cases in pediatric medicine in the Pacific Northwest and beyond get care.
And compassion.
On Tuesday, kids got time out of their hospital rooms down the hall to meet Smith next to Santa Claus. Smith gave the patients toys plus Seahawks gifts and photographs the quarterback autographed.
"There are great people there," Smith told The News Tribune this week.
"GREAT people."
The kids, parents of patients and staff members at Seattle Children's cherish these visits. They advertise them across the hospital community and beyond. The anticipation alone for them raises the spirits of those who need it, particularly this time of the year.
His visit Tuesday was Smith's first this season to Seattle Children's. He regrets he hasn't been there more this fall into winter. He's been before, in previous years, including when Russell Wilson showed him the way.
Smith backed up Wilson for three years with the Seahawks, before Smith took over the job for the 2022 season. Wilson came to Seattle Children's almost every Tuesday during every one of the 10 seasons he played for the Seahawks.
Wilson was such a regular he had access to the cancer ward, intensive-care units, the burn center — the sickest of the sick. That is, until the team traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos in March 2022.
Patients and families Wilson visited 10 years ago still talk about the day the QB came to see them.
Smith became Seattle's starter in the wake of the team trading Wilson.
Will he be Seattle's starter Sunday, when the Seahawks (7-7) have their latest must-win game for NFC playoff contention, at the Tennessee Titans (5-9)?
Geno Smith 'would hope' he's playing Sunday
Smith went to Seattle Children's the morning after he and coach Pete Carroll basically battled over whether Smith would play Monday night when the Seahawks hosted the Philadelphia Eagles at Lumen Field.
This week, after not playing in that game, Smith is fully participating in practices for the first time since he strained his groin in practice Dec. 7. Carroll believes Smith will be able to start Sunday at Tennessee.
Smith said Thursday his groin and the bruised triceps on his throwing arm he got Nov. 18 when the Los Angeles Rams' Aaron Donald smashed into him are not fully healed.
"I feel pretty good," Smith said. "Still getting better."
Asked if he's going to play Sunday: "I would hope so."
That's the Seahawks' plan.
Geno Smith unhappy with decision
Smith injured his groin stumbling over a teammate in practice three days before Seattle's game at San Francisco. Drew Lock started for Smith against the 49ers. He threw two interceptions in the second half of Seattle's fourth consecutive loss.
Smith didn't practice fully last week. He was getting treatment at 5 a.m. and again before he went to bed each night, with someone he brought into his house for, as he said, "around-the-clock" attention on the injury.
Then he surprised the Seahawks with how well he looked testing the injury in early pregame drills running and throwing 2 1/2 hours before kickoff Monday night.
Carroll considered playing him. Ultimately he and the team's medical staff decided to have Smith active for the game to play only in case of emergency. Lock started.
Carroll said the decision, then telling Smith he wasn't playing, when the quarterback wanted to and thought he proved he was ready to, were "gut-wrenching." The coach and the team sided with preserving Smith to be better able to play the final three games of the regular season in Seattle's push for the playoffs.
Smith, 33, sat for seven years on the benches of four teams almost never playing before he became Seattle's full-time starter last season.
So, no, he doesn't like not playing.
"It was tough," Smith said. "Just preparing myself and doing everything that I possibly can to be ready to play, feeling like I was ready to play, expecting to go out there and play — and then Coach making that decision.
"Obviously, I was hurt by it. I want to go out there and compete. I want to play any chance that I get. But I do understand that he's got to make the decision for the team, and also for me, to kind of protect me from myself at times. I had to deal with it and move on and go out there and support the guys."
Smith did that by putting on a team coat, a knit cap and a headset and consulting with and advising Lock throughout the game.
Yet he was hurt. Not with the groin. By Carroll's decision.
"I was just trying to come to the grips with the fact that I wouldn't be able to play," he said. "It's always going to hurt. Any time that I wasn't able to go out there all of those years, it hurt me. It hurt me because I felt like I was ready, and so that was no different.
"I want to be a part of this team. I want to help this team and contribute, and be a part of the wins. For me not to be able to go play, as a competitor, you're hurt by it.
"But as a teammate, you have to put your pride to the side, put those things to the side, put your ego to the side, and go out there and do whatever you can to help the team in another role.
"That's kind of what I did."
Appreciating Drew Lock
The last two Seahawks games have been Lock's first Seattle starts, and his first in the league since 2021 for Denver.
No Seahawk appreciates what Lock has gone through watching Smith play the last two seasons more than...Smith.
"Without a doubt," Smith said. "I kind of know what he feels. I know he wants to be out there competing, as well. Your opportunities come when they come, and you've got to be ready for them. I think he did a great job of being ready."
Still, Seattle's offense with Lock Monday night against the Eagles scored just one touchdown over the first 58 minutes of the game. But Seattle's previous ransacked defense kept the Seahawks in the game.
Lock then prepared to go onto the field with the offense with the ball at Seattle's 8-yard line, 1:52 and one time out left in the game, 92 yards from keeping their season alive.
"You're the best player on this field!" Smith told Lock on the sideline before that final drive Monday night. "You're going to lead us down this field right now! Go get it done!"
He did.
Lock ended the longest TD drive of Seattle's season with his touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba with 28 seconds left. The Seahawks' huge, 20-17 victory has reversed this team's vibe and season.
Lock respects and appreciates Smith for his support.
"The encouragement he's given me, the pep talks here and there, helping in the film room," Lock said.
"That's just an unselfish dude in there. I appreciate him more than words can describe. Talking to me before the 2-minute...it's really cool.
"Just awesome."
There are kids, parents and staff at Seattle Children's who feel the same way about Geno Smith.
"Geno spread holiday cheer to our patients and families while passing out toys and sharing some special moments," Seattle Children's spokesperson Ashley Speller told The News Tribune Thursday.
"Seattle Children's is thankful for his generosity and the time he spent with us."
