Raiders Have More Than One Big Quarterback Decision to Make

The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of important decisions to make this offseason. What's one of the most crucial ones?

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to throw in the third quarter against the New York Giants at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders have dealt with a three-win season as best as they could have after the 2025 season ended. Immediately getting rid of Pete Carroll saved them from any deliberation on whether they should keep him, and it led to a quicker start to their search for their next head coach.

This led to them landing Klint Kubiak as the next guy in charge, and the moves he made after showed that he wants stability with this team. He kept most of their defensive coordinators, in a move to appease Maxx Crosby or to give them some continuity from last season. What's a move that Kubiak has to decide on in the near future?

What To Do at QB?

Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak speaks at introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Raiders have the first overall pick, and Fernando Mendoza looks to be everything the Raiders have been searching for. He's calm under pressure, looks like he'll excel under Kubiak's system, and displays leadership in the locker room.

He's the only quarterback worth taking first overall in this draft class, and even if he isn't the most generational prospect, he will be the best the Raiders have had in the building since Derek Carr's departure. This is all fine for the Raiders, but it leaves an odd man out.

Dec 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks up during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Geno Smith was brought in with Pete Carroll, and he was always meant to be a bridge quarterback, meant to keep them afloat while they searched for their franchise guy. Things didn't go as they planned, and he ended up being one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league.

Now he's on a team that's poised to draft its quarterback of the future, which would absolutely reduce him to a backup role. I think there's some merit in keeping Smith around as a backup, due to his experience, and if he can be a mentor to Mendoza, but there's also plenty of incentive not to keep him around.

Dec 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA ;Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) warms up on the sidelines before his first series against the Houston Texans in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

For starters, there's the fact that over the course of a bad season, his relationship with Raider Nation deteriorated. I think if he were off the team entirely, there'd be a portion of the fanbase that would prefer that.

Secondly, if they were to release Smith, they'd be saving themselves $8,000,000 in cap space. They already have the second-most cap space in the league, and that money can go towards addressing one of their many roster needs. It's not worth keeping him around if they save so much by getting rid of him.

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