Geno Smith's visit with the Chargers went exceptionally well.
Still, he felt it only right to take the next trip he had planned, so he boarded a plane and headed north to meet with the Seattle Seahawks.
The veteran quarterback had a few other visits set up, but he cancelled them figuring they'd be a waste of time.
He knew a few days prior when he left Hoag Performance Center that he wanted to be a Bolt. There was no need to delay the inevitable any longer, which is why he agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Chargers on the first day of April.
While there are a lot of reasons why Smith chose the Chargers, perhaps none was more important than the presence of Head Coach Anthony Lynn.
"Coach Lynn was a huge factor," he admitted. "Number one, we worked together when he was Running Backs and Assistant Head Coach with the Jets. He was somebody who I relied on when I was a rookie, and even in my second year. Coach Lynn has always been there for me. When I got the opportunity to come play for him, I had a couple of other choices, but he really pushed it over the edge for me.
It's easy to see why Smith wanted to be reunited with Lynn so badly.
When speaking to the media for the first time after bringing in the new QB, Lynn made it clear he remains high on the former second-round pick.
"I have a lot of confidence in Geno Smith," the head coach said. "(He brings) competition. I was with Geno his first couple of years, when he had a couple of productive seasons. As a rookie, stepping in, I think he had five come-from-behind wins his rookie year. I know what he's capable of doing. I think he lost his focus there for a little while, but he's hit the reset button. He's re-focused. We're glad to have him."
With this marking his third offense in as many years, the most important thing for Smith right now is learning the playbook. While it's only been two days, Philip Rivers is already impressed by the way he's handled himself.
"We had meetings today, (and) sitting in the meeting room with him, he's already jumped in big time as far as learning it," Rivers said. "We did a lot of formations today, and to me, he was ahead in terms of on the first day, it wasn't, 'Woah.' That just goes to show you he's been in this league. He's been in a few different offenses. The demeanor that he had, and the way he's approaching it, it's positive."
It's not often a quarterback gets to learn alongside one of the top players to ever play the game. Even though the pair didn't have much a relationship prior to Smith's arrival, the newest QB emphasized how he plans to make the most of this opportunity to work with Rivers.
"Philip is such a hard worker and he's had tremendous durability," he said. "He's such a smart player. You see all the checks that he makes from afar, so it's going to be good to be in the same QB room and see what's going on in his head and what his thought process is. What makes him go. He's a been a tremendous player in this league for a number of years, and I look forward to working with him."
Rivers isn't the only QB Smith is eager to team up with.
"Working with Cardale (Jones) is going to be fun," he continued. "I've been a fan of his and what he's done. It's going to be fun and I think we're going to do a good job this year."
Smith then took a look around his new locker room in the direction of the team's wideouts and tight ends.
He couldn't help but crack a smile.
"This is a great group," he said. "We did a little bit of stuff (today), and just seeing them right now just jogging, they all look so good. They look ready. I look forward to working with everyone. They are hard workers and smart guys. They love to play football."
The Bolts return to Hoag Performance Center ready to work on the first day of the offseason program.
