It didn't take long for Las Vegas Raiders fans to understand why the Seattle Seahawks willingly moved off Geno Smith this past offseason. The veteran quarterback's new beginnings haven't gone quite according to plan, to say the least.
Smith's slow start with the Raiders isn't entirely surprising, given their organizational overhaul and all of the new faces in the building. However, the latest intel from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano suggests this experiment is rotten to its core.
Things have been so bad that Las Vegas could consider turning to 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett. But on the other hand, the Raiders have operated like a franchise that wants to compete, encapsulated by their acquisition of the struggling Smith. It's a perplexing conundrum that speaks to the new depths the latter, a two-time Pro Bowler in Seattle, has sunk to.
Ex-Seahawks Pro Bowl QB Geno Smith pushes Raiders toward existential crisis
The Raiders are only "mildly concerned" about Smith, per Fowler, who rightfully points to the notable offensive injuries the club has dealt with. The senior NFL reporter also highlights how Las Vegas' new general manager, John Spytek, inherited a lackluster roster.
Nevertheless, installing 74-year-old Pete Carroll as head coach "was essentially a win-now hire," leaving them caught between a rock and a hard place.
Given the circumstances, Fowler notes that the Raiders find themselves in a "weird space," toeing the line between rebuilding and trying to be competitive. This makes the idea of Smith getting benched unlikely. Yet, Graziano floats the possibility of the situation pushing Las Vegas toward a reset following what's been a brutal campaign thus far.
In addition to pondering whether Pickett may eventually step in, Graziano also discusses the Raiders potentially parting ways with Smith after just one season. The team wants to contend in the immediate future. Knowing this, the insider mentions how Las Vegas can take a sizable yet palatable dead money hit to release the ex-Seahawks signal-caller.
"If the Raiders cut [Smith] after this season, they'd have paid him $58.5 million for one (presumably disappointing) year," Graziano wrote. "That's a lot, but as Jeremy [Fowler] said, this team wants to win soon. If absorbing $18.5 million in dead money next year to move on helps them do that, I doubt it would stand in the Raiders' way."
Through five weeks in 2025, Smith leads the league in interceptions (nine). He ranks 37th in completion percentage over expectation out of 40 quarterbacks with at least 25 dropbacks (-0.5) and 35th in passer rating (75.6).
Note: Stats courtesy ofFantasy Points' data suite ($).