Superstar defender goes to bat for ex-Seahawks QB Geno Smith over heated exchange

Former Seattle Seahawks and current Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith has always talked trash on the field. At multiple points during his Seahawks career, Smith was the primary player breathing life into the Seattle offense with his energy.

It's no surprise that energy is present outside of gameday as well. During a 7-on-7 football event on June 28, Smith, who is a coach for the team South Florida Express (SFE), was seen in a video posted to social media trash talking the opponent on the sidelines and shouting "That's why they pay me the big bucks!" during his team's win, which was broadcast on NFL Network. Event security appeared to try and cool Smith down, but the context of the video isn't clear.

The post went viral, with Smith having to defend his actions on X (formerly Twitter). The entire thing appeared to be overblown, with just a snippet shown of what was probably a much more detailed interaction.

I want Geno Smith to be my HCpic.twitter.com/fvrSDFK6y4
— Pick 6 Pack (@Pick6PackFB) June 29, 2025

SFE cites Smith as being an alumnus of the program, so he has strong ties to the team, which calls itself the top 7-on-7 program in the nation, per its X account. That adds further context to his connections to the program.

Following the social media uproar, Smith responded with a post that read: "Having fun with the game I love but man, the need for clicks and negativity takes away from the great event that happened this past weekend. All the kids had fun and competed. All around great event. This is how we talk in Dade county I’m sorry u might not understand. Carry on!"

After Smith's back-and-forth on social media, Raiders superstar pass-rusher Maxx Crosby defended his quarterback with a corresponding post.

You Don’t Have To Explain Nothing To Nobody Brother… F*ck Em All… That’s My QB. 🏴‍☠️ https://t.co/hl1qx8a1TG
— Maxx Crosby (@CrosbyMaxx) June 30, 2025

Fans who have watched Smith play football shouldn't be surprised by him getting fired up over a big moment for his team. Of course, many will twist it into a negative, and it appears Smith has already made a strong enough connection with the Raiders' best player to earn his defense.

Videos like this are prone to social media scrutiny, and unfortunately for Smith, he was recorded during a snippet of emotion that made him an easy target.

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