Back in 2023, in what would prove to be the final season for coach Pete Carroll with the Seahawks, Geno Smith was in the midst of an up-and-down year. He was a breakout star in 2022, getting a chance to quarterback the Seahawks as the starter for the first time, a full seven years after he'd been declared a bust following his first two NFL seasons, with the Jets.
Carroll gushed about Smith's career turnaround.
"I love his story," Carroll said. "He's taught me so much, and I admire him for the way he's handled the competitive part of this thing. He's taught us about belief in yourself and how powerful that is. As clear as an illustration of anybody that I can ever remember.
"Forget this year or last year, he was the same guy every time out and just kept hanging. I probably didn't give him enough credit, because I probably didn't believe it. Maybe he was kind of faking it, he was saying the right stuff, he meant it, man. He was on it, and he proved it."
And now, for the relatively low price of a third-round pick, Smith is a Raider, and Carroll--the new coach in Las Vegas--will be paired up with his favorite guy. Seattle and the Raiders stunned the NFL with their blockbuster trade on Friday afternoon.
Smith is 34 years old, which will temper excitement for a Raiders team that needs upgrades at several key spots.
But he is coming off a very good year in which he went 10-7 at the helm in Seattle, throwing for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns, though with 15 interceptions. Smith posted a 70.4% completion rate, among the best in the NFL, but was sacked a jaw-dropping 50 times.
What could he do with the Raiders? Well, that's TBD. But while Las Vegas has Smith with just one year left on his contract, there's a strong chance that the team will grant him an extension rather than let him potentially hit free agency next offseason.
At Spotrac, the contract-expert site, the projection is that the Raiders will tack on two years and $87 million to the remaining $31 million on his deal. "New #Raiders QB Geno Smith projects toward a 2 year, $87M contract extension in our system (3 years, $112M total value)," Spotrac's Mike Ginnitti posted on Twitter/X.
New #Raiders QB Geno Smith projects toward a 2 year, $87M contract extension in our system (3 years, $112M total value). pic.twitter.com/j27IOKnFBR
— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 8, 2025
Related: Seahawks Great Richard Sherman Questions Stunning Geno Smith Trade
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This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 8:55 PM.