kenny pickett
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Former Las Vegas Raiders QB Kenny Pickett.
The Las Vegas Raiders are starting fresh at a number of positions, including quarterback. With the No. 1 pick expected to be used on Fernando Mendoza, the team has already cut ties with Geno Smith.
In addition, the Raiders decided against re-signing Kenny Pickett before the start of free agency. That left him free and clear to sign wherever he wanted. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pickett has signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers that can be worth up to $7.5 million.
The Panthers are a smart team for Pickett to go to. At first, he’ll be the backup for Bryce Young, but the quarterback position isn’t settled there.
Young has been far too inconsistent for him to be guaranteed the starting job all season. He did play well in 2025, but his thinner frame makes him more at risk for injury.
Pickett hasn’t lived up to his status as a first-round pick, but he’s started 27 games in his career. He had a chance to start two games for the Raiders last season, but didn’t play very well. This will be Pickett’s fifth team in five seasons, so he has to be hoping to find a long-term home. Even being the long-term backup for the Panthers could be appealing for the veteran quarterback.
Geno Smith Yet to Sign
Pickett isn’t the most notable Raiders quarterback from 2025 in free agency. That would be Geno Smith. The former Pro Bowler is set to be released after a dreadful first season in Las Vegas.
However, the Raiders have yet to officially release him, which means he can’t sign anywhere yet. Once that happens, things should move quickly for him. While he’s coming off a bad year, he’s proven to be a capable quarterback in the past and should be cheap. He’ll likely go to a team that needs a starter instead of a backup.
Raiders Praised for Tyler Linderbaum Signing
The Raiders have made some big moves to start free agency, but none bigger than landing Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum on a three-year, $81 million contract. He’s one of the best players at the position in the NFL, but Las Vegas did have to spend big.
The $27 million a year they’re paying him is easily the biggest contract for a center ever. Linderbaum is very good, but he’s not considered the best center in the NFL. While he does think the Raiders overpaid, Seth Walder of ESPN understands why the team was all-in on Linderbaum.
“The Raiders absolutely needed to shore up their offensive line ahead of Fernando Mendoza’s presumed arrival. In Linderbaum, who will turn 26 next month, they land a center in the prime of his career at a caliber that teams typically won’t find in free agency,” Walder wrote.
“Linderbaum ranked second in pass block win rate last season and is generally regarded as a good run blocker even though his run block win rate hasn’t ever been quite as high (48th percentile over the past two seasons). He is widely considered among the top centers in the league, though I’d put him a tier below Creed Humphrey, the consensus best player at the best position.”