The Las Vegas Raiders officially have their new starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. The team made a surprising move Friday to acquire veteran quarterback Geno Smith in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN.
The Las Vegas Raiders have traded for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, reuniting him with coach Pete Carroll, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler on Friday.
Over the past few weeks, there’s been much speculation about what the Raiders intend to do at the quarterback position. Most of the speculation surrounded the team’s desire to bring in Matthew Stafford via trade with the Los Angeles Rams or land Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold in NFL free agency.
Although both veteran gunslingers would’ve been a step in the right direction for Las Vegas, Stafford ended up staying in Los Angeles, and the Raiders may have concluded that Darnold came with too high of a price tag for the storied franchise.
Ultimately, the decision was made to bring in Smith, who has ties to new head coach Pete Carroll from their days together in Seattle. There seems to be a strong connection there, and it potentially might be the first acquisition of a player from the Seahawks, with rumors swirling about the team possibly considering signing wide receiver Tyler Lockett and or trading for DK Metcalf.
As for compensation for Smith, the Raiders are reportedly sending a third-round in this year’s NFL Draft to Seattle.
Las Vegas gave up a 2025 third-round pick (92nd overall) for Smith, sources said. The deal ends his six-year stint in Seattle, where he revived his career and became a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
The addition of Smith will be an upgrade for the Raiders at the quarterback position. The team is set to part ways with Gardner Minshew and seemingly does not have much faith in Aidan O’Connell being the future face of the franchise under center.
With the Raiders’ starter for the upcoming 2025 NFL season now set, it remains to be seen what the team does in the draft and whether it considers drafting a young quarterback to learn under Smith or address another area of need.
Raiders make Maxx Crosby the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL
The Raiders secured the future of arguably their best player by signing Maxx Crosby to a lucrative contract extension. Although there was speculation about the star defensive end potentially considering a future elsewhere in the NFL, the team was adamant about keeping him and was able to accomplish that with a three-year extension worth over $100 million.
