Former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith during an NFL game.
Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith wasted little time reacting afternews broke that the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to release him, barring a trade before the start of the new league year. Smith posted, “God is the GREATEST THANK U LORD,” then followed it with a quote-post of an old Kyrie Irving message that read, “The journey is the reward.” The timing matters because the NFL’s 2026 league year opens at 4 p.m. ET on March 11, which is when trades can be finalized and free-agent movement officially begins.
For Seahawks fans, the reaction instantly brought Smith back into the news cycle a year after Seattle sent him to Las Vegas. It also adds another layer to a story that now looks surprisingly short-lived: the Raiders acquired Smith from Seattle, gave him a lucrative extension, then appear ready to move on after one season.
Geno
God is the GREATEST
THANK U LORD 🙏🏿
Geno Smith News: Raiders set to trade or release QB
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Raiders are releasing Smith, barring a trade before the new league year begins. That is the clearest answer to the main query here: Smith is on the way out in Las Vegas unless another team steps in over the next few days.
The “why today” is straightforward. Las Vegas can avoid paying Smith an additional $8.5 million in guarantees by moving before the third day of the 2026 league year, while also clearing $8 million in cap space. The Raiders would still absorb an $18.5 million dead-cap hit, so this is not a clean escape financially, but it is a sign the franchise is prioritizing flexibility and a new quarterback timeline.
That timeline matters even more because Las Vegas finished 3-14 in 2025 and holds the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with widespread expectation the club will reset at quarterback by drafting Fernando Mendoza. For Seahawks readers, that makes Smith’s social-media response feel less random and more like the first public sign he knows the next stop is coming fast.
Geno Smith Stats
Smith’s lone Raiders season never matched the level Seahawks fans saw during his best stretch in Seattle. In 2025, he threw for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, while posting a 34.1 QBR on a Raiders team that finished near the bottom of the league.
Those numbers help explain the decision. The Raiders scored just 241 points in 2025, or 14.2 per game, which ranked last in the league according to Pro Football Reference’s team page. So while Smith’s reaction on X grabbed the attention, the football case for a change had been building for months.
The Seahawks angle is still worth noting, though. Smith had been a comeback story in Seattle and put up much stronger production there, including 4,320 passing yards in 2024 before the trade to Las Vegas. That contrast is part of what makes this update notable for Seattle fans tracking whether the move away from Smith came at exactly the right time.
Geno Smith Contract
Smith signed a two-year, $75 million deal with $66.5 million guaranteed after joining the Raiders. For 2026, he was due a $26.5 million base salary, and that contract structure is a major reason this decision became urgent in early March.
The contract mechanics are one of the biggest value-adds in this story. Releasing Smith does not erase the Raiders’ mistake, but it limits future exposure. Las Vegas takes the $18.5 million dead-money charge, saves $8 million in cap room, and avoids locking itself into a veteran starter if it wants to hand the offense to a rookie soon.
The Raiders traded a third-round pick to Seattle last year to acquire Geno Smith.
He still is owed $18.5 million guaranteed from Las Vegas in 2026. But the Raiders are clearing the deck at quarterback for the expected selection of No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. https://t.co/Grzmwaw2zz
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2026
What happens next?
The next step is simple: either a trade materializes before March 11, or Smith hits the market as one of the more experienced quarterbacks available. For Seahawks coverage, the follow-up angles are obvious: whether Seattle’s decision aged well, which teams could pursue Smith next, how his Raiders stint unraveled so quickly, and what his reaction says about his view of the split.