Las Vegas Raiders' new regime is standing on what they believe even if things could go wrong
The Las Vegas Raiders believed that Geno Smith, the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback, could be their quarterback of the future. But, they weren't necessarily putting their money where their mouth was. The 34-year-old quarterback, who had a connection with Pete Carroll, wanted to be somewhere long-term if he were to be traded from the Seahawks. […]
The Las Vegas Raiders believed that Geno Smith, the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback, could be their quarterback of the future. But, they weren't necessarily putting their money where their mouth was.
The 34-year-old quarterback, who had a connection with Pete Carroll, wanted to be somewhere long-term if he were to be traded from the Seahawks. He wanted to be the quarterback of the future, but the Raiders weren't budging on a new deal that shows he is just that, as Smith only had one year left on his contract going into this year.
Smith’s last few years with the Seahawks have been a solid run, especially since he stepped up as the starter. Smith joined Seattle in 2019 as Russell Wilson’s backup and barely played until 2021, when he started three games, going 1-2. In 2022, after Wilson got traded, Smith beat out Drew Lock for the starting job. He started all 17 games, took the Seahawks to a 9-8 record, and made the playoffs as the NFC’s seventh seed. He threw for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, with a 69.8% completion rate and a 100.9 passer rating. That got him NFL Comeback Player of the Year and a Pro Bowl nod. But the Seahawks lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round.
In 2023, Smith signed a three-year, $75 million deal. He started 15 games, went 9-8 again, but the team missed the playoffs. He threw for 3,624 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions, with a 66.5% completion rate and a 92.1 rating. He had a big game against the Washington Commanders, throwing for 369 yards and two scores, including a game-winner. The team’s issues—like a bad run game and shaky defense—kept them out of the postseason, not Smith’s play.
In 2024, his third year starting, Smith kept it steady, though the team’s results stayed middling. They weren't a good team, but Smith still played well, well enough for Carroll to trade for him and now give him a new contract.
According to Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are signing Smith to a two-year contract extension worth $85.5 million, with $66 million guaranteed. The Raiders finally stood on business, This shows how much they believe in him, even if there is a chance things could go south.
He's 34 years old, so, yes, this could end up being a bad deal. Look at the Denver Broncos a few years ago, who traded for Russell Wilson, and were more than willing to give him a big contract extension before seeing him play. That backfired big time.
Let's hope that doesn't happen here. His deal is the same length as Carroll's, so they are tied together.
Las Vegas Raiders 2025 Mock Draft: Trading back in the first round to get the most value from the entire class
The Raiders would ace the draft if they did that.
