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Geno Smith's Interception Spree Makes the Wrong Kind of History for Raiders

Smith now has nine interceptions through five games.

Ryan Phillips

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith tied a franchise record with nine interceptions in his first five games.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith tied a franchise record with nine interceptions in his first five games. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
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Geno Smith's tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders has not started well.

On Sunday, the Raiders were getting hammered by the Indianapolis Colts, and Smith continually made things worse. The veteran quarterback entered Week 5 with seven interceptions and threw two more, making franchise history.

According to ESPN Research, Smith's nine interceptions are the most by any Raiders quarterback in the team's first five games since Jim Plunkett had nine in 1982. The last NFL quarterback to have nine picks in their team's first five games was Zach Wilson for the New York Jets in 2021. It's worth noting that Wilson was a rookie at the time, and those were the first five games of his career. Smith is a 34-year-old two-time Pro Bowler.

Smith's first interception came late in the first half when a pass intended for Jack Bech was tipped and picked off by Colts defensive lineman Laiatu Latu.

The second came midway through the third quarter and was an inexcusable throw. Smith dropped back and targeted a short pass to receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr., but Colts cornerback Mekhi Blackmon was all over it and stepped in to grab the ball.

Las Vegas lost 40-6.

Smith finished the day 25-of-36 for 228 yards and the two interceptions. The Raiders didn't find the end zone all afternoon. On the season, Smith has completed 65.0% of his passes for 1,176 yards, with six touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL in 2025.

The Raiders acquired Smith by trading the 92nd pick in the 2025 NFL draft to the Seattle Seahawks. The franchise signed him to a two-year, $75 million contract extension and, as a result, is stuck with him for the foreseeable future.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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