The Las Vegas Raiders spent a third-round draft pick and $75 million to secure 34-year-old quarterback Geno Smith this offseason, and all of it potentially for just one year of work as the team’s starter.
Smith reinvented himself and reignited his career via a five-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks, during which he threw for nearly 13,000 yards and 76 touchdowns in 54 games — including 52 starts (28-24) — and earned Pro Bowl honors twice.
Still, given his age and cost, Smith was an interesting decision for a rebuilding Raiders team that just hired a new general manager in John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll. The connection, of course, is that Smith played for Carroll from 2020-23 — his last four seasons as head coach of Seahawks.
Given the imperfect fit and solution that Smith represents in Las Vegas, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report predicted on Friday, May 9, that the team will move on to a new answer under center following the 2025 campaign.
“The Raiders must know deep down that 34-year-old Geno Smith is a bridge quarterback who’s coming off a 15-interception campaign in Seattle,” Gagnon wrote. “They wouldn’t have a dead cap hit if they trade him next offseason, so they figure to pursue a longer-term option after this year.”
Trading Smith might prove a somewhat onerous task given that his contract extension runs through the next three years and carries significant base salaries in 2026 ($26.5 million) and 2027 ($39.5 million). However, if Smith plays competently in 2025, the shortage of quality starters around the NFL could certainly create a reasonable market for him next spring.
Las Vegas chose not to pursue a high-level quarterback in April’s NFL draft, despite owning the No. 6 overall pick, which the team used to acquire standout running back Ashton Jeanty out of Boise State.
The Raiders did draft two quarterbacks, however: Tommy Mellott out of Montana State in the sixth round (No. 213 overall) and Cam Miller out of North Dakota State also in the sixth round (No. 215 overall).