When you tell your fans in Seattle (who stood up and argued for the guy) that you never really felt at home in Seattle?, YEAH, skrew that Geno.
It was pretty well known in the NFL world that folks outside of Seattle looked at Geno more favorably than fans of the team did. Drew Lock has never shown any real ability to start consistently in the league, yet fans in Seattle saw the slightest glimmer of positive play from him as a reason he should get a chance to start.
Sam started in NY and flopped but NY is blamed for how bad he was.
Geno started in NY and flopped and it was proof he was never any good.
Geno never had to develop a pattern of 'losing games' to be labeled a failure in big moments. His first action in Seattle saw him almost bring us back against the Rams when Russ went down only to have his pass intercepted when Tyler got tripped on a PI and fell and the defender caught the ball exactly where our guy would have been. Geno wasn't given a pass then, nor was he the following week when we lost to the Steelers when the ball was knocked out of his hand in a collapsing pocket under pressure by the most feared pass rusher in the league.
Sam gets the ball knocked out of his hand on a potential game winning drive by one of the most feared defenders in the league and we lose the game, but it wasnt his fault.
Geno in relief duty when Russ went down in '21 puts on a passing clinic against the Jags (one of the worst team in the League) completing his first 15 passes and running a broken offense coordinated by a bust of an OC and it's passed off as a nothing burger because of the competition ( the Jags I think best the Bills or came close to it a few weeks later if I remember correctly).
Sam beats the worst team in the league in the Saints, plays a solid game, and is hailed for how high he ranks in several categories going into week 4.
Geno was getting MVP recognition in 22 and there was a large segment of fans who were saying 'hokd your horses .. he will 'return to form'.... Sam looks good for 3 weeks in Seattle and he 'might be our guy long term'.
Just saying, that's the reality of the temperature that was around Geno and his time as a Hawk. The double standard / half full / half empty thing isn't a fabrication. Some players pay more attention to fan opinion than others. Geno is the type to pay attention to it, to his detriment. It fuels him, and it holds him back. He no doubt felt it in Seattle.
One of the best things about him not being here is that for better or worse, this fanbase can now hopefully collectively turn the page on the Pete/Russ/ Geno era and just enjoy football without rooting interests in individual players dominating the discourse .