The Las Vegas Raiders announced Thursday that the team acquired two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith in a trade with Seattle.
Here are five things to know about the Silver and Black’s new addition to the quarterback room.
1. A Revived Career
Smith was selected in the second round (39th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He started 29 games in an inconsistent first two seasons and compiled 5,571 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns and 34 interceptions. Smith then suffered an injury shortly before the 2015 season began, opening the door for Ryan Fitzpatrick to take over as the starter. After serving as backup for the next two seasons, Smith then went on to spend time with the Giants (2017) and Chargers (2018), before signing with Seattle in 2019 to compete for the backup quarterback job behind Russell Wilson.
Smith didn’t see any action in Seattle until 2020 and didn’t start a game for the Seahawks until 2021, when Wilson missed three games with a hand injury.
“The tough part is just preparing so hard all those years and then going out there on gameday and not being able to play,” Smith said in a 2023 interview with NFL Films. “Only one quarterback gets to play out there, so that was the hard part.”
After the 2021 season, Seattle traded Wilson to Denver and Smith beat out Drew Lock for the starting job. Since becoming the full-time starter in 2022, Smith is tied with Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes (49) for the third-most games played by a quarterback. Only Jared Goff (51) and Josh Allen (50) have appeared in more.
2. Stats as a Starter in Seattle
Smith set career highs and franchise single-season records in pass attempts, completions and passing yards in 2022, and became just the third Seahawks quarterback in franchise history to throw 30 touchdown passes in a season. He also led the NFL in completion percentage (69.8) and ranked fifth in passer rating (100.9).
In 2024, Smith set new career highs and franchise records for attempts (578), completions (407), passing yards (4,320) and completion percentage (70.4). He finished top five in the league in each of those categories and became the 20th quarterback in NFL history to complete at least 70 percent of their passes in a single season.
Over the last three seasons, Smith totaled the fourth-most passing yards and eighth-most passing touchdowns in the NFL. Most importantly, the Seahawks reached the postseason in 2022 and finished with a winning record all three years with Smith as a starter. His 27 wins as a starter from 2022-24 rank sixth among all quarterbacks.
3. Playing Under Pete
In addition to playing some of the best football of his career under Carroll, Smith has also credited his former and now current head coach for helping him grow mentally.
“He’s given me that self-confidence. He’s given me kind of a new lease on life,” Smith told NFL Films. “I’ve always been a little hard on myself. I’m always like, ‘You’re not good enough’. But he helped me change the way I spoke to myself a little bit.”
Smith was named the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year in 2022 and earned Pro Bowl nods in both seasons working with Carroll.
According to Next Gen Stats, Smith threw 40 touchdown passes traveling over 10 air yards from 2022-23, ranking second in the NFL. Raiders quarterbacks combined to throw just nine such touchdown passes last season, tied for the second fewest in the league.
Now, Smith is fired up and ready to reunite with Carroll, this time in Las Vegas.
“God is the greatest!! Excited to get to work and win. The time is now,” Smith wrote in a recent X post.
