49ers-Seahawks pregame: Geno Smith is out; Niners do Knapp Stair Climb Challenge

SANTA CLARA — Geno Smith was inactive Sunday for the Seattle Seahawks, with the 49ers instead tasked with defending backup Drew Lock at Levi’s Stadium.

Smith gingerly went through a 10-minute workout some three hours before kickoff to determine and it was clear by warmups he would sit out the game with a groin injury as he watched Lock and Sean Mannion go through drills.

Mannion was added to the 53-man roster as an option after Smith sustained a groin injury in Thursday’s practice, which caused him to be listed as questionable.

Lock, 27, will start his first game for the Seahawks after backing up Smith with no playing time a year ago and appearing in two games in relief in 20230, completing 4 of 12 passes for 66 yards and an interception

A second-round draft pick out of Missouri by Denver in 2019, Lock was 8-13 as a Denver starter from through 2021. His most extensive time came in 2020 when he was 4-9 in 13 starts and led the NFL with 16 interceptions.

Lock went into last season battling Smith for the starting position after the trade that sent Russell Wilson to Denver, with Smith getting the nod and having a solid season.

Mannion is a six-year veteran from Foothill High in Pleasanton and Oregon State. He played primarily as a backup for the Rams and Vikings before joining Seattle. He was released off the Minnesota practice squad last week before joining Seattle.

Geno Smith went through a 10-minute workout, lot of communication between throws with training staff, looked very ginger, walked off favoring right leg/groin

If he starts for Seahawks vs 49ers, expect lot of shotgun snaps, no zone read, and lot of Nick Bosa & Co. crashing pocket

— Cam Inman (@CamInman) December 10, 2023

Smith is only three weeks removed from sustaining an triceps contusion near his throwing elbow. He played through that issue in losing to the 49ers on Thanksgiving Night in Seattle, 31-13.

Smith has started every game since last season for the Seahawks, who went 0-3 last year against the 49ers, including a wild-card playoff loss here at Levi’s Stadium.

Inactives for the 49ers were defensive tackle Arik Armstead (knee, ankle), tight end Ross Dwelley (ankle), right guard Spencer Burford (ankle), cornerback Darrell Luter (ankle), running back Elijah Mitchell (knee) and No. 3 quarterback Brandon Allen.

Jon Feliciano will start at right guard in place of Burford, who was coming off one of his better games against Philadelphia.

Other inactives for Seattle were linebacker Frank Clark, tackle Curtis McClendon, cornerback Tre Brown, linebacker Patrick O’Connell and wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge.

KNAPP STAIR CLIMB CHALLENGE

John Lynch, Adam Peters, Keena Turner were among the 49ers’ front-office representatives, while several members of Kyle Shanahan’s coaching staff also participated pregame in the Greg Knapp Stair Climb Challenge. The second annual event raises awareness to the dangers of distracted driving and to honor Knapp, a former 49ers assistant who coached in the NFL for 25 years before his July 2021 death, when he was struck by a distracted driver while cycling near his Danville home.

The 49ers’ event Sunday was an answer to the challenge from the Atlanta Falcons, who jointly participated with the New York Jets to run stairs before their game last Sunday. The 49ers thus challenged the Seahawks’ staff members to do the same before their game next Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I just want to thank everybody here for showing up two years in a row, and for John and the 49ers to make sure this happened,” Charlotte Knapp, Greg’s widow, said. “This was Greg’s home in the NFL, where he started his career, so this is very special being here. He also won his only Super Bowl at this stadium (as the 2015 Denver Broncos quarterbacks coach), something I’m so grateful he had the opportunity to do before he passed. I feel like he’s here, and it feels very near and dear to my heart to be here with you in doing this with the 49ers. Thank you.”

Lynch added: “If you knew Knapper, you knew he was a tremendous person and just everybody in the league knew Greg and that he was a good person. … For 25 years, Greg ran the steps. Long before Robert Saleh, there was Greg Knapp running the stairs before games. We’re pleased to run these stairs in an effort to bring awareness to distracted driving. It’s a terrible tragedy, but credit to you, Charlotte, for making good out of a tragedy.”