Geno Smith trade: Seahawks salary cap implications superb for deal with Raiders

The Raiders not only gave the Seahawks a third-rounder for Geno Smith, they're taking on all of his salary.

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

The Seattle Seahawks have pulled off a stunning Friday night trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, sending starting quarterback Geno Smith to Vegas in exchange for a third-round draft pick. The move reuintes Smith with former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and marks a huge shift in Seattle's trajectory over the next few seasons.

Given Smith's age and experience, a third-round draft pick is a really strong return in the trade for Seattle's part. Even better, the salary cap implications are also very friendly for the Seahawks. According to Brady Henderson at ESPN, the Raiders are taking on Geno Smith's entire $31 million salary that's due for the 2025 season.

Geno Smith has one year and $31 million left on his contract. The Raiders are taking on all $31 million, a source tells me.
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) March 8, 2025

The deal will have the Seahawks take on $13.5 million in dead money, according to Over the Cap, but that's a relatively small price given the return. They'll be completely out from under in 2026.

What comes next for the Raiders is to build up the weaponry around Geno Smith, especially a wide receiver corps that is currently led by Jakobi Myers. That means DK Metcalf might be a potential target for Vegas in another deal with the Seahawks, if that's something they're interested in.

As for Seattle, they obviously have to find their next starting quarterback. The search is expected to begin with Sam Darnold, who's about to become a free agent fresh off a breakout year with the Minnesota Vikings.

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