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.
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.
Smith has one year and $31 million left on his contract. The Raiders are taking on all $31 million, a source told ESPN’s Brady Henderson. The Seahawks will save that $31 million in cash and cap space while taking on $13.5 million in dead money.
In 2024, Smith, 34, completed 70.4% of his passes while throwing for 4,320 yards with 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He helped the Seahawks finish 10-7, but they didn’t make the playoffs in their first season under coach Mike Macdonald.
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While starting all 17 games, Smith broke his franchise record for passing yards and completion rate, carrying an offense with an overmatched line and no consistent run game. He led four game-winning drives, giving him nine over the past two seasons to tie Patrick Mahomes for the most in the NFL in that span.
Smith’s last game-winning drive came in the Seahawks’ Week 18 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
But Smith’s 15 interceptions were the third most in the NFL. Four of his interceptions came in the red zone (most in the NFL). His 21 touchdown passes tied for 13th, and his QBR of 53.8 (21st) was his lowest in three seasons as Seattle’s full-time starter. He was sacked 50 times (third most).
“Geno’s our quarterback,” Macdonald said last month, one of several times he publicly endorsed the signal-caller since the end of last season. “I don’t understand the conversation. It’s pretty obvious this guy is a heck of a quarterback. He’s our quarterback. We love him. Can’t wait to go to work with him.”
Smith ranks 21st in Total QBR over the past two seasons. He had the league’s seventh-best QBR in 2022, when he made the Pro Bowl, was named Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year and led the Seahawks to a wild-card berth after taking over as starter in the wake of the Russell Wilson trade.
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The Seahawks re-signed Smith to a three-year, $75 million contract in March 2023. That deal gave him the opportunity to make an additional $30 million via contract escalators. Smith hit $6 million of those escalators with his performance last season. That $6 million was added to the $10 million roster bonus Smith is set to earn March 16.
Smith unsuccessfully argued for a new deal last offseason after seeing several quarterbacks cash in with big-money extensions, and he was upset that the Seahawks would not give him one, sources said. It was a nonstarter for the organization given its policy of not renegotiating contracts with more than one season left.
The $25 million average of Smith’s last deal ranked 19th among quarterbacks (it was 20th before the New York Giants released Daniel Jones) and last among full-time starters not on their rookie contract.
The Seahawks were working to extend Smith’s contract over the past week, but when progress was not being made, the Raiders stepped in and showed interest in acquiring him. With the Seahawks struggling to get a new deal done, they opted for a third-round pick instead.
News of Smith’s trade to the Raiders comes two days after Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf requested to be dealt from Seattle. The Seahawks also released another star receiver, Tyler Lockett, earlier this week along with four veteran players. The Raiders are among the teams the Seahawks have talked to about a potential Metcalf trade, according to a source.
The trade, which can’t become official until the new league year begins Wednesday, leaves the Seahawks with Sam Howell and Jaren Hall at quarterback. The team is expected to pursue a veteran quarterback when free agency begins.
After becoming Raiders coach in February, Carroll said he wants to start winning immediately. During the NFL scouting combine, Carroll said the team’s “win now” approach should factor into every decision the team makes in shaping the roster for the 2025 season.
“We are trying to take it as far as we can as soon as we possibly can,” said Carroll, 73. “I’m not looking for a grace period. … I don’t think that way at all.”
Carroll has long had an affinity for Smith, at one point in 2023 calling him “one of my all-time favorite guys.”
Smith is expected to be the seventh Raiders quarterback to start in a game since the team moved on from Derek Carr after the 2022 season.
During the combine, Raiders general manager John Spytek said the team would explore every avenue in adding a quarterback after Las Vegas finished 4-13 under Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder, who started one game. Minshew is expected to be released at the start of the new league year, a source told ESPN.
Carroll and Spytek mentioned O’Connell and Carter Bradley would have a chance to compete for the job. At the same time, Spytek said, “We’ve got to win more games too.”
Though Smith is an upgrade from the Raiders’ previous starters, they have plenty of work to do to surround their new quarterback with offensive talent. Las Vegas has players to work with such as Brock Bowers, who led all tight ends in receiving yards (1,194) during his rookie campaign. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers recorded his first career 1,000-yard season after three straight years with at least 800.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson contributed to this report.
