Do Raiders Make Sense For Hyped 2027 QB Prospect?

The Las Vegas Raiders made one of the boldest trades of the offseason, acquiring former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. The Raiders then handed Smith a two year, $75 million extension that included $66.5 million, which locks him in through the 2027 season.

2027 seems to be the popular year as of late. Recently, Archie Manning, the grandfather of Arch, mentioned that the Texas quarterback will be staying in college for all four years. Manning is set to take over as the Longhorns' full-time starter in 2025, as a good season would've made him the top quarterback prospect in 2026.

Now that he's likely staying for two more seasons, many have started to speculate where Manning could end up in 2027.

Arch Manning

Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports listed a few potential destinations for Manning, with the Raiders being named.

"While Smith gives the Raiders a higher floor than their previous quarterbacks, there's a world where things go off the rails. Already, Smith isn't looked at as the caliber of quarterback that can lead a team to a Super Bowl, and did just come off a 2024 season where he threw 15 interceptions (the most since his rookie season)."

"In 2026, the Raiders will also face the NFC West and AFC East on top of playing in the highly competitive AFC West, so they do have a tough road in store for them on paper. If Smith bottoms out that season, that positions the Raiders to opt for a younger quarterback like Manning to play alongside their young core of Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers."

Sullivan went on to say that while Smith is an upgrade over Raiders' past quarterbacks, this wasn't a move viewed as a long-term solution. Smith is set to be 37 years old at the end of his deal and who knows what could happen by then.

The quarterback position will be something that'll be in the back of the Raiders' minds over the next several seasons, even with the upgrade they made with Smith. While 2027 is still a long time away, the thought of Manning entering the AFC West's elite lineup of quarterbacks would be exciting.

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