Quarterback Geno Smith Traded To Las Vegas Raiders, Reunited With Coach Pete Carroll

In a NFL blockbuster trade, former USC Trojans head coach Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders have acquired veteran two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks for a 2025 third-round pick. The news was first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Carroll and Smith are reunited in Las Vegas after Carroll helped to resurrect Smith’s career in Seattle with the Seahawks.

Carroll was hired by the Raiders earlier this year after taking a season off from coaching. Carroll, despite being a head coach in the NFL once more, is still teaching a course at the University of Southern California. The Raiders had long been linked to former USC Trojans quarterback and soon-to-be free agent Pro Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold, but this move signals that Darnold will be targeted elsewhere, potentially by the Seahawks.

Blockbuster: The #Seahawks are trading two-time Pro Bowl QB Geno Smith to the #Raiders for a 2025 third-round pick, sources tell The Insiders.

It’s a reunion for Pete Carroll and Smith, who also is expected to get a new contract. And Seattle will need a new QB. pic.twitter.com/K5X0ZlvX66
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 7, 2025

Pete Carroll was vocal about the Raiders' need of the quarterback position at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was also adamant on explaining why the quarterback needs to be supported by the entire team in their role, which starts with the players and system they build around them.

"The quarterback position needs to be supported in every way possible so they can be as effective as they're able to be. And that takes a combination of elements to make up the support of a quarterback,” Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll said.

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“The running game is a huge element of that. Not just so you can run the football. It ain’t three yards and a cloud of dust. You have to be able to run the football so that you can control your aspects of the game and take care of the ball…[Quarterback] is the hardest position in professional sports to play. We need to do everything we can to facilitate it and make it as easy as possible for that guy. That's why the running game is so fundamental to it," continued Carroll.

The Raiders have their quarterback now, could this move be a massive sign that the Raiders are going to get their running back next? Currently, the Raiders hold the number six overall pick in the NFL Draft. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty now becomes a realistic option in that spot. Should the Raiders land Jeanty, the bones of their offense would look drastically improved on paper.

The #Seahawks are now expected to explore veteran QB options, with Sam Darnold viewed by league sources as a leading contender. The dominoes begin. https://t.co/Oxib0Q9fsb
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 7, 2025

With All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers, Jakboi Meyers, and Kolton Miller, Carroll and Smith have some trusted options to rely upon already. Should they upgrade the offensive line along the interior, and add another vertical option in the receiver room, the Las Vegas Raiders go from bottom of the barrel to a team that could be in contention in the AFC West. The playoffs would be a realistic scenario for Pete Carroll in year one.

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