Former Seahawks QB Geno Smith explains why he wanted to leave for the Raiders

A reunion with former head coach Pete Carroll was only part of the appeal for Seattle's former starting quarterback.

Nov 27, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) scrambles against the Las Vegas Raiders during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Geno Smith was always considered a bridge quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, although it wasn't clear until the very end where that bridge was going. It's also pretty much unheard of for a bridge QB to last for three full seasons as a starter, but Smith was just good enough to keep the job for that long - while keeping the Seahawks competitive despite a seriously imbalanced roster.

While the news that Smith had been traded to the Las Vegas Raiders didn't come as a huge surprise, it was also a major turning point in the history of the franchise, which immediately pivoted to replace Smith with Sam Darnold.

Fair or not, Darnold and Smith are going to be linked and compared for the rest of their respective NFL careers - especially since the extension that Smith got from the Raiders basically amounted to an extra 20-dollar-bill more than Darnold got from Seattle.

To hear Smith tell it, it sounds like his beef with the Seahawks was purely a business matter and he really doesn't have any grudges. Speaking with Raiders beat reporters a few days ago, Geno outlined his reasons for wanting to get traded to Las Vegas - including a chance to reunite with Pete Carroll and be part of an iconic sports brand.

Aug 19, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) talks with head coach Pete Carroll during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Lumen Field. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Geno Smith on reasons for Raiders trade

"Everything about it... Coach Carroll, Las Vegas, the Raiders, the silver and black - this is a historic franchise. One of the most historic franchises in all of sports ...  to say I can wear this helmet and this logo is special to me."

Carroll's adoration for Smith's game is no state secret, but he's already at work impressing his other coaches. In the same press conference, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said that starting Smith at QB was literally like having another coach.

The Raiders have good reason to be impressed given their history at quarterback. While Derek Carr made four Pro Bowl teams, Geno Smith is better now than Carr ever was - and the same is true of Geno's game when compared to Rich Gannon at his best. Truthfully, Smith might be the best quarterback the Raiders have had since franchise goat Ken Stabler left in 1980.

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