John Spytek seems to have the foundation of a plan in place when it comes to what’s next for Raiders QB Geno Smith
The Raiders still have Geno Smith on the roster.
Everyone knows the Las Vegas Raiders plan to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza No. 1 in 2026. But that raises another question—what happens to Geno Smith?
Last season, they traded for Smith from the Seattle Seahawks. This season obviously didn’t go as planned, or the Raiders wouldn’t be picking No. 1 overall. Smith is a big reason why it didn’t go well, but not the only reason. So, this begs the question: what do the Raiders do with the guy they not only traded for but gave a new contract to?
“Obviously, the contract predicates that a little bit. Klint and his staff are getting everything together, so we are going to spend some time here, and then get back to Vegas and kind of formulate a plan with everyone going forward,” Spytek said when asked at the NFL Draft Combine what the plan was for Smith.
There is still a path where the Raiders keep Smith
Cutting Smith before June 1 only saves the Raiders $8 million in 2026, while waiting until 2027 would save $39 million. The Raiders will need a backup quarterback with starting experience, and although Mendoza is expected to be the starter, Spytek said he’s not a big fan of rookie quarterbacks starting immediately.
Spytek doesn’t like throwing rookies into the fire, which is understandable. He may want a backup with starting experience. Smith started nearly every game last season. He’s already on the roster, and cutting him means spending that money on another backup, who could be worse than Smith. The challenge is convincing Smith to be the backup.
On the other hand, if Vegas opts for Spytek’s preferred plan, Smith would be the Day 1 starter and Mendoza the backup. That’s really the only way to convince Smith, or he may just hold out and demand a trade or something. So, while there is a possible way for them to keep him, it doesn’t seem super likely. Based on everything that’s been reported, it feels like the Raiders will cut him this offseason.
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