Geno Smith

New Regime Drew Geno Smith To Raiders

April 10th, 2025 at 3:40pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

At first glance, the surprising trade that sent Geno Smith from the Seahawks to the Raiders appeared to be about money.

It’s a familiar story in the NFL: a player wants more money than his current team is willing to offer, and requests to be traded to a new team who will meet his demands. That seemed to be the case when the Raiders gave Smith a two-year, $75MM extension a few weeks after they acquired him.

But Smith insists that the move wasn’t only about money, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. His relationships with key members of the Raiders’ new regime – head coach Pete Carroll, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, and minority owner Tom Brady – showed him the respect and opportunity he could have in Las Vegas.

Carroll forged a lasting bond during Smith’s career turnaround in Seattle, which included a Comeback Player of the Year award in 2022 and a three-year, $75MM extension in 2023. Though Carroll left the Seahawks in 2024, the two remained in touch as Smith navigated the ups-and-downs of a 10-7 season under a new head coach.

“I would call him whenever I got frustrated,” said Smith (via Breer). “He talked me through things, and he still coached me. And I think that’s what makes him such a special man, is that he was coaching me even when he wasn’t my head coach. A lot of the things that he was telling me, a lot of conversations we had really kept me steady throughout the season, and kept my head on straight.

In January, the Raiders hired Carroll as their next head coach. Two months later, negotiation talks between Smith and the Seahawks broke down, leading them to take calls on a potential trade. Seattle wanted to work with Smith on finding his new home and notified his agent of the Raiders’ interest.

Having Carroll as his head coach was a plus. So was the Raiders’ new offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, who tried to recruit a teenage Smith to Oregon more than a decade ago. The two renewed their connection when Kelly coached Smith’s cousin, star wideout Jeremiah Smith, at Ohio State.

“We never got the chance to be player-coach,” said Smith. “But I’ve always wanted to explore that. We’ve always had a good rapport with one another.”

And then there was Brady, the legendary quarterback who bought a minority stake in the Raiders in 2024 and played a major role in their organizational overhaul this offseason. Brady recognized the mental traits that will give Smith a chance at playing into his 40s, like Brady did, and his vote of confidence loomed large in Smith’s mind.

With excitement about the franchise’s new leadership and the prospect of a financial commitment past 2025, Smith realized that the Raiders offered the brightest future.

“I just thought the opportunity in Vegas, man, it was just too, too, too great to pass up,” he said.

Raiders To Extend QB Geno Smith

April 4th, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Sam Robinson

APRIL 4: Smith’s 2025 compensation will jump from $31MM to $40MM, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. The 2026 season includes a $26.5MM base salary; $18.5MM of that figure is already locked in. The remainder will shift from an injury to a full guarantee of the third day of the ’26 league year.

None of Smith’s salary for 2027 ($39.5MM) is locked in, a sign of the short-term nature of this commitment. $3.5MM in annual incentives bring the maximum value of the pact to $116.5MM, but with an out after the 2026 season (and perhaps earlier) it is highly unlikely Smith will approach that figure.

APRIL 3: The Raiders have a deal done with Geno Smith. They are giving the trade acquisition a two-year extension, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. This will keep the ex-Seahawks starter under contract through 2027.

It appears initial reports, like when Smith signed his 2023 Seahawks contract, featured a slight inflation. Smith’s Raiders deal will be worth $75MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Earlier reports indicated the deal checked in at $85.5MM, though Schefter indicates that represents the pact’s max value. Smith’s new contract will come with $66.5MM guaranteed, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.

This represents a bridge deal for both parties, though Smith’s age may well make this his final starter-level contract. Set to turn 35 in October, Smith had angled for a deal north of $40MM per year. That aim prompted the Seahawks to trade their three-year starter rather than agree to his price. The Raiders, after being prepared to give Matthew Stafford a big guarantee in a trade, pounced and reunited him with Pete Carroll.

This marks Carroll’s second time signing off on a Smith starter-level contract, as he was in place as the Seahawks’ top decision-maker when they gave him a three-year, $75MM deal in 2023. That turned out to bring good value for the Seahawks, who held Smith to the deal even as he pushed for a new one in 2024. Although Smith could not quite reach that $40MM-per-year point during his Raiders talks, the reclamation project did secure a significant raise.

At $37.5MM per year, Smith again will come in with a lower-middle-class contract on a skyrocketing QB market. When Smith signed his $25MM-AAV deal in March 2023, the league had not seen the $50MM-per-year club form. It has now, with 10 passers comprising it. Smith only moves up a few spots on the QB salary list, and it is certainly no coincidence his new AAV matches Derek Carr‘s Saints number.

Though, it is notable the Raiders were only comfortable matching that — as Carr secured those terms when the cap resided at barely $224MM. It is now at $279.2MM, inviting questions about the Raiders’ commitment level. The Raiders were ready to give Stafford a deal that included at least $90MM guaranteed. The Rams standing down and retaining their starter forced the Raiders and Giants to look elsewhere, and both teams approved cheaper contracts to address their QB voids.

Rather than dive into the free agent QB market and enter a draft chock full of maligned passing prospects, the Raiders traded a third-round pick for Smith. They are catching the former second-rounder going into his 13th NFL season, but these terms align with Carroll’s stopgap coaching contract. The Raiders gave Carroll a three-year deal, one aimed at bringing stability to an organization that has lacked it for many years. We now have a timeline on the latest Carroll-Smith partnership, as this contract buys the AFC West club some time to find a true long-term option.

It also should not be viewed as a random occurrence that Smith’s deal surpasses Sam Darnold‘s new Seattle AAV, which is $33.5MM. The Seahawks have been out of the franchise-QB payment game since trading Russell Wilson to the Broncos, and rather than reunite with Wilson, Carroll chose Smith and now has him tied to the NFL’s 16th-highest QB contract. This should give the Raiders some flexibility, though it will be interesting to learn what the guarantee at signing is.

The Raiders gave Carr two franchise-QB-level extensions, the first (in 2017) setting an NFL record and the second (in 2022) being a clear bridge deal while the Josh McDaniels-led regime evaluated the fit. As the fit proved poor, the Raiders soon lost their QB stability by cutting Carr. They have moved on from their past two Week 1 starters — Jimmy Garoppolo, Gardner Minshew — via post-June 1 cuts. Smith will enter 2025 — barring a surprise first-round QB draft choice — on steadier ground compared to his two veteran predecessors in Vegas, though this contract length does invite questions beyond 2025.

New Raiders GM John Spytek said recently the Raiders want Smith as their starter for “years to come.” Smith may well have the inside track to be the Silver and Black’s starter in 2026 as well, but the Raiders figure to do more QB homework ahead of next year’s draft; as of now, that crop looks better than what the 2025 draft presents. Smith, however, will have a chance to keep his post-30 momentum going.

Although Smith bettered his Comeback Player of the Year completion rate (69.8, a number that led the league in 2022) by connecting on 70.4% of his throws last season, he threw 15 interceptions. Smith’s yards-per-attempt number (7.5) matched his 2022 breakthrough, but he was also working with a skill-position group better than what he inherits in Las Vegas. Brock Bowers delivered a historic tight end rookie season, but questions about for the Raiders at the other spots. How Spytek, Carroll and Tom Brady address the receiver position will play a key role in how their QB trade asset fares.

Prior to acquiring Carr, the Raiders carried an extensive history of late-career QB projects — from Carson Palmer to Rich Gannon to Jeff George to Jeff Hostetler to Jim Plunkett. While the Garoppolo swing and miss highlighted an overmatched regime, Carroll’s familiarity with Smith should help the Raiders pick up the pieces after a rough period.

Raiders Aiming For Long-Term QB Geno Smith Deal

March 31st, 2025 at 8:30am CST by Adam La Rose

MARCH 31: More than three weeks after the Raiders’ Smith trade, the three-year Seahawks starter remains on his Seattle deal. But Carroll confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson) the team is “working on” an extension for its new QB1. Carroll was with Seattle when the team re-signed Smith in 2023, and while longtime Seahawks copilot John Schneider did not see eye-to-eye with the passer’s camp about value on a new contract, Carroll’s new team is all set to sign off on one.

MARCH 28: The Raiders have their quarterback of the present in the form of Geno Smith, and he will reunite with head coach Pete Carroll for the 2025 campaign. Smith’s time in Vegas could stretch well beyond the final year of his current deal, of course.

The Seahawks quickly realized a new accord would not be worked out this offseason, prompting the decision to trade Smith and turn their attention to Sam Darnold. One season remains on the current pact for the Raiders’ new QB1, and shortly after his arrival signs began pointing to an extension being worked out. One is not in place yet, although optimism remains that an agreement will be reached shortly.

When speaking about the Smith acquisition, new Raiders general manager John Spytek noted Carroll’s presence played a role in the move. That comes as no surprise, since the veteran head coach worked with Smith in Seattle from 2020-23. During that stretch, the two-time Pro Bowler had a pair of seasons atop the QB depth chart in the wake of the Russell Wilson trade and played his way into an extension averaging $25MM per season. A much higher asking price is in play this time around.

“The compensation from a draft-capital standpoint wasn’t so costly,” Spytek said during an appearance on the team’s Upon Further Review podcast. “I love my picks more than anybody… But, listen, we used a late third-round pick to hopefully have our starting quarterback here for years to come. And it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.

“When you’ve watched Geno through the years, he can throw the football with the best of any of them, honestly,” Spytek added. “I mean, you watch some of the throws he makes over and over again downfield, you know, short, intermediate. The touch is there, the arm strength is there.”

Smith, 34, has stated a desire to continue his career to the point of 20 NFL seasons. That goal could very well include a lengthy Raiders tenure if a new deal can be worked out soon, although the draft looms as a means of adding a long-term answer at the position. Vegas is set to select sixth overall next month, and the team has frequently been connected to Shedeur Sanders. A drop out of the first round – and more specifically the top 10 – is not expected in the Colorado product’s case, meaning the Raiders would need to be aggressive in pursuing him.

The remainder of the draft will of course offer Spytek and Co. other opportunities to acquire a young passer, something which makes the Smith extension situation an interesting one. If a long-term arrangement is indeed the team’s goal, it would come as no surprise if negotiations on that front picked up before the start of the draft.

Raiders Nearing Geno Smith Extension?

March 16th, 2025 at 1:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 16: Smith has a $16MM roster bonus that is due today, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. The Raiders will pay him that money, but for accounting purposes, it can be incorporated into an extension as a signing bonus. That would also allow the Raiders to reduce his $31MM 2025 cap hit.

MARCH 14: The Raiders do not appear to be planning to hold Geno Smith to his Seahawks-constructed contract going into the season. An extension is considered likely, and it could be coming soon.

Smith is expected to agree to a new deal this week, The Athletic’s Tashan Reed reports. Smith negotiated with the Seahawks this offseason, but the sides were far apart on terms. As Smith’s camp pushed for a deal north of $40MM per year, the Seahawks offered him a similar contract to the one they gave Sam Darnold (three years, $100.5MM). The value gap led Seattle to trade Smith to Las Vegas, which will now be tasked with pinpointing the middling quarterback’s price.

Proving more valuable than his current contract suggests, Smith is coming off a season where he eclipsed his 2022 Comeback Player of the Year campaign in passing yards (4,320) and completion percentage (70.4) while matching his yards-per-attempt number (7.5) from that breakout season. He is tied to a deal in QB no-man’s land (three years, $75MM). No quarterback is within $5MM AAV of Smith either way, with Justin Fields (two years, $40MM) and the Darnold/Baker Mayfield range being the closest to the new Raiders starter.

The Seahawks not moving close to $40MM per year for Smith illustrates their view of the ex-Russell Wilson backup. While Smith has not been connected to approaching the $50MM-per-year club, that ballooning contract tier has raised the market as a whole. Smith exited last season as the NFL’s 18th-highest-paid QB; Darnold’s deal bumped him to 19th.

Smith is going into his age-35 season, which offers another complication. The Raiders, however, are likely to authorize an extension that covers at least three years in length, Reed adds. Smith is joining a Las Vegas team that had slogged through two grim years at quarterback following the team’s December 2022 Derek Carr benching, one that led to a release weeks later. Carr had kept the Raiders’ QB1 reins longer than anyone in team history, and the Josh McDaniels regime did not effectively replace him, as Jimmy Garoppolo did not play well despite being given a three-year deal that nearly matched Smith’s Seattle numbers.

The Raiders aggressively pursued Matthew Stafford, though Smith’s age and familiarity with Pete Carroll probably makes him a better fit. Stafford is heading into an age-37 season. With the Raiders finishing 4-13 after Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell operated as the primary passers and playing in a division that sent three teams to the playoffs and one to Super Bowl LIX, identifying a starter who could be in place for a few seasons probably lined up better than trading for a year-to-year QB who would have still drawn a guarantee in the $100MM range.

Smith secured only $27.3MM at signing from the Seahawks, who had paid him just $3.5MM in 2022 and lower rates before that. Mayfield received $50MM guaranteed in total ($40MM at signing), while Darnold’s locked-in number likely rivals that. If the Raiders give Smith a deal in the $40MM-per-year range, the guarantee will need to come in higher than where Mayfield’s settled last year. Regardless of where that number comes in, the Raiders will soon be back in the franchise-QB contract game.

Geno Smith Trade Resulted From Failed Extension Talks

March 14th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Ely Allen

One of the bigger pieces of information that we didn’t expect to come out during this free agency craziness was the trade of quarterback Geno Smith from Seattle to Las Vegas. The deal seemed to come out of nowhere, as many reports indicated that negotiations on an extension were underway.

After seeing a resurgent past three seasons in Seattle that included two Pro Bowl berths, Smith was hoping for the team to give him some commitment moving forward, though the team was expected to explore their options. After head coach Mike Macdonald delivered his endorsement of a new deal for Smith and new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak cited Smith as a “huge draw” for the job, it began to seem that things were trending in the right direction for an extension to keep Smith in Seattle.

A little over a week after negotiations opened, though, the trade was announced. According to a couple of sources, the trade was a direct result of the Seahawks and Smith failing to come to agreeable terms on the extension. Per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, general manager John Schneider claimed that it had become “apparent” that the two sides were not going to be able to meet in the middle.

The 34-year-old quarterback still had one year left on his current deal, but he had been public about his desire for a new contract that reflected his status as a “top-tier” passer. Dugar’s report from Schneider says that when Seattle submitted what they thought was a fair offer, it quickly became clear that “there was no back and forth coming.” Schneider said that “it wasn’t a very long negotiation” before it became “pretty evident” that Smith would need to be traded.

Despite the hardball-negotiation-nature that that implies, Schneider told The Athletic that Smith did not ask for a trade. Likewise, the Seahawks did not shop Smith out. The Raiders simply reached out with interest at the right time, and after not getting a counteroffer from the extension they offered to Smith, Seattle felt it was making the right move for all parties involved.

The other report on this situation comes from Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. While Schultz’s rendition aligns with Dugar on much of the developments of the extension discussions, Schultz disagrees with Dugar on two major points. Schultz claims that, after four days of unsuccessful contract negotiations — which doesn’t seem to agree with Schneider’s description of quick negotiations — Smith requested a trade last Thursday night.

Whether or not it was Smith that requested the trade, the Seahawks that shopped Smith out, or the Raiders who intervened on Smith’s behalf ultimately may not end up mattering that much. Seattle was never going to get up to the number Smith desired, and with a “major sign-off from Tom Brady,” new head coach Pete Carroll was able to bring over his former quarterback to the Raiders. Now, we’re seeing reports that Las Vegas is nearing an extension agreement with Smith, indicating that the Raiders may be more willing to reach that number that Smith desired.

Seahawks, Sam Darnold Finalizing Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 11:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The rumblings coming out of the Geno Smith trade look to indeed have produced a deal. Sam Darnold is expected to head to Seattle as the team’s first outside QB1 addition since Russell Wilson 13 years ago.

Darnold and the Seahawks are finalizing a deal worth nearly $100MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Darnold had been linked to a Baker Mayfield-level contract, and it appears the 2024 Vikings Pro Bowler will settle on that tier after a breakthrough season. A price discrepancy has emerged, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the deal is for $110.5MM in total and comes with $55MM guaranteed. If the latter numbers are correct, Darnold bettered Mayfield’s Buccaneers terms.

A weekend report pegged the Vikings as being out on Darnold, and Minnesota now must shift to another veteran option. The Vikings passed on a $40.2MM franchise tag for the resurgent passer but expressed interest in a re-signing at a lower rate. That always ran the risk of a separation, as the open market opened the door for more suitors to speak with the seven-year veteran. Darnold will replace Smith as Seattle’s starter.

The Seahawks proposed a similar deal to Smith, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Seeking a contract north of $40MM per year, Smith rejected the proposal. That led to the sides separating, and it will be the Raiders who will enter extension talks with the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year.

Mayfield signed a three-year, $100MM deal to stay with the Bucs last March; $50MM came guaranteed. That contract came in well north of Smith’s 2023 Seahawks terms (3/75), and the Wilson successor angled for a better deal in 2024. The Seahawks passed at that point, as two seasons remained on their then-starter’s contract. While they were readier to extend Smith this year, a sizable gap in terms led to the impasse that produced the trade. Darnold, 27, does not have as much quality work on his resume compared to Mayfield or Smith, but he hit free agency after a $24MM cap spike.

Cast aside by the Jets and Panthers, Darnold has received training in the Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay (via Kevin O’Connell) offenses. New Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak coming from the Shanahan tree should make this a fairly smooth transition, though Darnold’s skill-position corps may not rival what the Vikings just presented. After throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, Darnold is joining a team that just traded D.K. Metcalf and cut Tyler Lockett.

Although the Seahawks still have work to do at receiver, they do carry promising running backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. Noah Fant remains on the Seattle roster as well. Darnold will carry significant risk, as the Vikings presented a strong situation for a bounce-back season. The Jets traded him after three mediocre seasons, and injuries kept Darnold off the field for much of his Carolina tenure — one that featured Matt Rhule preferring Mayfield to him. Darnold did not threaten Brock Purdy for the 49ers’ job in 2023, though he did beat out Trey Lance for the QB2 position fairly easily.

Darnold threw 35 touchdown passes last season, eclipsing his previous career best by 16, and finished with 4,319 yards — roughly 1,200 more than his previous-best mark. This season included a Vikings road win over the Seahawks, as the team soared to 14-3 despite separating from Kirk Cousins.

Darnold, however, faceplanted in the Vikings’ two biggest games. Blowout losses commenced against the Lions in Week 18 — a do-or-die game for home-field advantage in the NFC — and against the Rams in Round 1. This undoubtedly proved costly for the passer, but it does not appear his market suffered immensely from the late-season undoing.

The Seahawks still figure to do work on the 2026 and ’27 QB draft classes, but this commitment covers them for a bit. Darnold will have a chance to prove last season’s breakout was legitimate, while the Seahawks can rest easier as today’s QB carousel heats up. Despite hopping on late, Seattle became a destination for PFR’s No. 1 overall free agent.

Raiders Declined Seahawks’ Offer For Maxx Crosby; Sam Darnold Likely To Choose Seattle?

March 8th, 2025 at 11:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks aimed much higher in a Geno Smith trade compared to what they eventually received. Fetching a third-round pick three years after their Russell Wilson trade brought eight assets back, the Seahawks asked the Raiders about a player who drew trade interest before last year’s deadline.

Seattle included Maxx Crosby in its trade talks with Las Vegas, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who indicates the NFC West team asked for Crosby in a trade that would have sent Smith and D.K. Metcalf to the Raiders. The Raiders quickly informed the Seahawks Crosby was a non-starter, and the team reached a record-setting extension with the star edge rusher earlier this week.

As Metcalf still looms as a trade possibility, the Seahawks will have a new starting quarterback in 2025. They have become the lead suitor for Sam Darnold, with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adding that several execs around the league expect Darnold to end up in Seattle. The Titans have also emerged as a front-line Darnold suitor, but that looks to have changed after this Smith trade, which has brought several Darnold-Seattle links.

Mark Davis said last year Crosby was not available, and although another trade link emerged early this offseason, no serious traction came out of it. The Raiders have since signed Crosby to a three-year, $106.5MM extension. That deal came together quickly, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicating it took only “a matter of hours” for the sides to hammer out the extension. That is rather surprising, considering that Crosby set a new non-QB contract record despite only agreeing to a three-year term.

Crosby will receive $62.5MM guaranteed at signing, Florio adds, with that figure including his 2025 and ’26 base salaries. Crosby’s 2027 base salary ($29MM) is guaranteed for injury and becomes fully guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2026 league year. That will amount to a practical guarantee, as the Raiders will be extraordinarily unlikely to move on from Crosby next year. Crosby’s 2028 and ’29 base salaries are nonguaranteed.

It is worth wondering if the Seahawks and Raiders’ Smith talks impacted the Crosby extension. Even if they did not, Seattle attempting to land the dominant pass rusher in a package that would have reunited Pete Carroll with Metcalf as well is quite noteworthy. The Raiders could still acquire Metcalf and/or Tyler Lockett, the latter becoming a free agent minutes before the younger Seahawks wideout’s trade request surfaced. The Seahawks want the Metcalf trade matter resolved by the draft.

Metcalf was linked to preferring a warm-weather city and landing in a place with more quarterback stability. This could certainly be perceived as a knock on Smith, and ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry adds that the Smith trade — and Darnold-to-Seattle rumors — could alter the Metcalf conversation in Seattle. Darnold has not been as good as Smith on the whole, though the Vikings QB outplayed the former Comeback Player of the Year in 2024.

Darnold is now expected to leave Minnesota, and it will be interesting to see how far Seattle will need to go contractually to land the breakthrough passer. The Seahawks’ offense will lack the overall weaponry the Vikings’ provided, especially if the team trades Metcalf. Keeping Metcalf would make the Seahawks more appealing to Darnold, even though Jaxon Smith-Njigba authored a breakout season. Darnold will understandably want to know how serious the Seahawks are about moving Metcalf before he commits, as other suitors’ offers could still impact a Darnold-to-Seattle path.

Raiders Still In Play To Draft First-Round QB

March 8th, 2025 at 11:54am CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders have their 2025 starting quarterback, needing to give up only a third-round pick for him. Geno Smith‘s reunion with Pete Carroll checked off the most important box for the Raiders during their offseason, and a new contract will be expected for the ex-Seahawk.

A meeting between Carroll, Tom Brady, John Spytek, Chip Kelly and QBs coach Greg Olson charted a course after the Raiders’ Matthew Stafford effort failed. The team wanted to have an established veteran over an untested rookie, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, who indicates the meeting came after “several members” of the Raiders’ offensive staff preferred a vet.

That said, the Raiders have still acquired a soon-to-be 35-year-old quarterback. While Smith’s presence could allow the Raiders to reset and table their need to draft a passer — perhaps when more appealing QB draft classes emerge after 2025 — but Reed adds this trade is not expected to take the Raiders out of the mix for a first-round QB investment this year entirely.

The Raiders may need to keep this up to make their pick more valuable in a potential trade, as smokescreen efforts regularly involve quarterbacks, but the team has done extensive homework on Round 1 passes in each of the past two years. Of course, two different regimes went through those process. Spytek and Brady will lead this one. A quarterback chosen outside the first round also may be in play.

Already linked to Jalen Milroe recently, the Raiders were particularly impressed with he and Texas’ Quinn Ewers after going through concepts with them at the Combine, per Reed. Both players are not currently viewed as first-round prospects, but we have seen QB prospects vault to that status during the pre-draft process many times in the draft. How teams fill their positions in free agency will also impact perception on these two, Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough ahead of the draft. The Raiders were linked to a Cam Ward trade-up, but now that they have Smith, it seems highly unlikely they would move up for the Miami passer. Shedeur Sanders may well be available at No. 6, though the Colorado product’s stock his falling.

The Seahawks had put off adding a Smith heir apparent in the 2023 and ’24 drafts, and while they had not seen their QB match his 2022 Comeback Player of the Year form, Smith remained a solid option under center. He finished 14th in QBR in 2023 and started 17 games last season, though his QBR fell to 21st.

Smith saw his interceptions climb to 15 but also matched his 2022 yards per attempt figure (7.5) and established a new high for completion percentage (70.4) with a mark that bettered his NFL-leading 2022 number (69.8). Smith should provide the Raiders with flexibility, likely giving them a multi-season starter.

Nothing had gone especially well for the Raiders at quarterback since they cut Derek Carr. Neither Jimmy Garoppolo nor Gardner Minshew proved the answer, with each being benched during stays that involved injuries and, eventually, post-June 1 cuts. The Raiders will need a Smith heir apparent in the not-too-distant future, but taking a Day 2 QB and evaluating him this year would not cut into the team’s resources to build around Smith too much.

Seahawks To Trade Geno Smith To Raiders

March 7th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be still looking into trades after the Matthew Stafford push failed, the Raiders have found a solution. Pete Carroll will be reuniting with a QB — just not via free agency.

Rather than a Russell Wilson signing, the Raiders are trading for Geno Smith, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. The Raiders will send the Seahawks a 2025 third-rounder for Smith, Seattle’s former Wilson backup-turned-three-year starter. Suddenly, it is the Seahawks who need a quarterback.

While we mentioned Smith as a prospective solution minutes ago, it is still fairly stunning the Seahawks are parting with a proven starter. One season remains on Smith’s three-year, $75MM contract. This trade will almost definitely bring a Smith extension, as the Raiders were on the cusp of giving Stafford a monster guarantee package.

Smith is not in Stafford’s skill class, but he is two years younger. Going into his age-35 season, Smith likely has secured another starter year without the threat of an immediate QB heir apparent coming in. Indeed, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports Smith is likely to land a new deal in Vegas; he has been seeking a contract between $40-$45MM per year. The Seahawks came in at around $35MM per year, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Smith entered the offseason as the NFL’s 19th-highest-paid QB, with no one really around his $25MM AAV.

The 2022 Comeback Player of the Year, Smith is due a $14.8MM base salary in 2025. That money is not guaranteed, but again, it would be quite surprising if the 12th-year veteran were still attached to that deal by Week 1. This represents a major swing by a Raiders team that has shuffled through QBs since benching Derek Carr in December 2022. Smith is one year older than Carr, but he has displayed durability since replacing Wilson in Seattle.

Smith stunned the football-following world by being far more than a mediocre Wilson successor, rising from longtime backup — a player who had drawn low-end salaries from the Seahawks for four years — to the NFL’s completion percentage leader. Smith broke Wilson’s single-season Seahawks passing yardage record in 2022, also throwing 30 TD passes, and then re-broke it this past season. He finished with 4,320 passing yards last season, though the 15 interceptions brought concerns for the Seahawks, who had passed on acquiring an heir apparent for multiple offseasons. Smith ranked just 21st in QBR last season, after coming in at seventh (2022) and 14th (2023) in his other Seattle starter years.

Talks had begun between Smith and the Seahawks, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates the sides did not make much progress. This will end a six-season partnership, one that brought three winning seasons — including a 10-7 2024 season — and a playoff berth with Smith at the wheel. The Seahawks are now exploring a Sam Darnold addition, providing a tremendous shakeup to the QB market days before free agency. Smith had pushed for an extension in 2024, but the Seahawks did not greenlight one.

Seattle’s shocking Smith trade comes after John Schneider had said there was no doubt the QB would remain at the controls in 2025. The deal also comes two days after D.K. Metcalf requested a trade. The Seahawks, who cut Tyler Lockett minutes before the Metcalf news surfaced, are making wholesale changes after back-to-back playoff misses. Seattle had not previously missed two straight postseasons since the 2008-09 seasons — before Carroll and Schneider arrived.

Metcalf is believed to be targeting a deal to a warmer-weather team, with Russini indicating during a radio interview with Mike Golic and Mike Golic Jr. that the standout receiver also wants more QB stability. Metcalf has since seen the Seahawks deal a proven starter, as the team joins a handful of clubs in pursuit of a free agent. Effectively, the Raiders and Seahawks have swapped places. This is a long time coming for the Raiders, who have come off back-to-back seasons featuring struggles staffing the position.

The Raiders cut Carr and signed Jimmy Garoppolo. After Garoppolo became a post-June 1 release — following another injury-plagued season that involved a midyear benching — the team gave Gardner Minshew a two-year, $25MM deal. Also benched, Minshew sustained a season-ending injury and will follow Garoppolo in being a post-June 1 cut. Aidan O’Connell remains on the roster, but he no longer has a realistic path to the starting job. This will at least buy the Raiders time, as they could now — barring a renewed Cam Ward trade-up effort — wait for a better offseason to strike. This has widely been viewed as an unspectacular QB draft class.

Las Vegas picked up an extra third-rounder via the Davante Adams trade, closing the book on the wide receiver’s two-plus years with the team. The Raiders carried more than $80MM in cap space entering Friday; some of that figures to go to Smith’s extension, but the team will have necessary funds to improve around him, after a 4-13 season cost Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco their jobs. In stepped Tom Brady, who has been a central presence in the Raiders’ QB pursuit.

Carroll is on a three-year contract, coming in as a hopeful culture-resetting presence after tumult consumed the Raiders following Jon Gruden‘s forced resignation. Carroll had stumped for Smith during the months between the Wilson blockbuster and the 2022 season, and Smith beat trade pickup Drew Lock for the starting job. He was unchallenged for the position in 2023 and ’24, but Mike Macdonald and new OC Klint Kubiak will be working with a new passer in 2025. Kubiak had said Smith was a “huge draw” to bring him to Seattle; Smith will now get to work in Chip Kelly‘s offense.

Seahawks To Begin Geno Smith Extension Talks

February 25th, 2025 at 1:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Geno Smith was unable to secure a Seahawks extension last offseason, but he is still firmly in the team’s plans for 2025 and beyond. Talks on a new pact are set to commence.

When speaking to the media on Tuesday, general manager John Schneider said (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times) the Seahawks will begin negotiation on an extension this week. He added no firm deadline is in place but repeated the organization’s stance that having Smith under center now and in the future is still a priority. One year remains on the veteran’s current contract.

Smith is owed $25MM in 2025 as things stand, though – a mark well below the market for veteran starters. His cap hit of $44.5MM is also a cumbersome figure for a Seahawks team which is among those slated to be over the projected cap once the new league year begins in March. A multi-year commitment in the 34-year-old will carry risks for Seattle, of course, but he has posted a winning record during each of his three full seasons as the team’s starter.

Head coach Mike Macdonald has made it clear he wants Smith to remain in place for 2025 and beyond, and a report from the Super Bowl indicated a new arrangement (through a restructure or an extension) could be expected. During Seattle’s offensive coordinator search, the prospect of coaching Smith was an obvious talking point. Klint Kubiak said the opportunity to coach Smith played a role in his decision to head to Seattle.

While the former Comeback Player of the Year intends to continue his career to the age of 40, it came as no surprise when a December report indicated the Seahawks will look into options to succeed Smith this offseason. That could still result in a QB addition through the draft, but no change atop the depth chart will be forthcoming if a deal can be reached. Smith inked a three-year, $75MM pact in 2023; it will be interesting to see where his asking price lands this time around.

Schneider also confirmed (via Condotta) Seattle has engaged in contract talks with linebacker Ernest Jones. The trade acquisition proved to be a productive addition, but team and player paused negotiations at the end of the campaign. The Seahawks still hope to get a deal done with the pending free agent, though, and the looming start of the league year could spur action.

As for wideout Tyler Lockett, Schneider added conversations will take place with his agents. Lockett’s future in the Emerald City has been in question given his lack of guaranteed money for 2025 (the final year of his deal) and scheduled cap hit of nearly $31MM. Schneider is unsure of whether or not Lockett will return next year, but there is a strong chance the Seahawks will have continuity under center moving forward.

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