What the Raiders Must Decide on Geno Smith

The Las Vegas Raiders' pairing with Geno Smith was one of the worst decisions made this past season, and it led to the Raiders having a record of 3 - 14. His relationship with the fanbase and city has deteriorated, and it's fair to question what his future looks like in the NFL.

Now that Pete Carroll has been fired, he was the only coach who presumably would've vouched for Smith to stay on the team. The Raiders have a chance to draft Fernando Mendoza, so I doubt they'd want Smith as the starter for another season. What should the Raiders do about Smith?

What's Next?

Henry McKenna writes for FOX Sports, and he released an article going over what's next for some of the most disappointing quarterbacks of the 2025 season. For Smith and the Raiders, McKenna believes a breakup is imminent between the two.

"The Raiders have already broken up with head coach Pete Carroll. Now the team appears headed for a breakup with its quarterback. This whole Carroll-Smith experiment went so poorly that it feels like Las Vegas will cut its losses and move on", said McKenna.

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

Smith wasn't the quarterback the Raiders thought he'd be when they traded for him, and their decision to extend his contract continues to age like milk. However, it's an undeniable fact that he's on their books until 2028. In 2027, they have a potential out of his contract that won't cost them anything in dead cap space, but that's still a bit away.

"And yes, that means starting over — again. But how could owner Mark Davis look at the 2025 Raiders and think it’s a good idea to give it another go? Smith is headed into journeyman backup territory again".

Smith wasn't a good quarterback last season, but I don't think he was bad enough to warrant them eating all of that dead cap money just to get him off the team. Especially if they plan on drafting a rookie quarterback with the first overall pick, he'd be a valuable backup in the league with plenty of starting experience. Depending on how next season goes, he may even be a trade chip for a team with an unexpected injury at quarterback and desperate to compete.

Ultimately, this decision will fall to the next Raiders head coach. Whether that's someone like John Harbaugh or Klint Kubiak, they will decide what Smith's future in the Silver and Black looks like. If it were up to me, he'd be the franchise backup quarterback for the next couple of years until you can get off of his contract.

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