The Raiders gave up a third-round pick for Geno Smith and followed up that trade 10 months ago by giving him a two-year, $75 million contract extension.
But nothing about the 2025 season has gone as planned for the Raiders and every indication is that they are going to move on from Smith after just one season.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vinny Bonsignore talked about Smith on Vegas Nation First and 10 podcast this week and he believes the veteran quarterback would probably like to play somewhere else next year.
“I think that’s almost as foregone a conclusion as Pete Carroll was,” Bonsignore said of Smith’s future in Vegas.
“Asking John Spytek about Geno Smith, and… I think he said he’s under contract and he’s a quarterback. Those are two facts. He wasn’t lying about that part of it. [Geno] is under contract for next year, and he does play quarterback…”
“The way he played this year… I think Geno Smith wants out himself, maybe a clean slate if he even wants to continue to play football again. But I think Geno Smith has played his last game for the Raiders.”
Following Carroll’s firing at the start of the week, Smith erased everything Raider-related on his Instagram page, and that makes sense considering Carroll was, by far, the veteran quarterback’s biggest advocate in the building.
If he wants to play somewhere else next year, Smith will have options, but it’s highly unlikely that he’ll get another opportunity in the NFL as a starter.
As time goes by, we’ll learn more about what went wrong between Smith and the Raiders in 2025, but it was interesting that Smith was the one person Chip Kelly mentioned after being fired in November.
“I am grateful for the opportunity with the Raiders, bottom line in this league you have to win,” Kelly told SOX Sports insider Jay Glazer, who posted his message on X. “I really loved those players, I’m a huge, HUGE Geno Smith fan, that was one of the best parts of this experience for me, working with Geno and those guys every day. But hey, we gotta win. I get it.”
Like Smith, Kelly’s career took a step back this year and he will go from an NFL coordinator job this year (reportedly worth $18 million) to a coordinator job at Northwestern University in 2026.
Northwestern finished the 2025 season with a 7-6 record and were tied for 10th place (4-5) in the Big Ten.
x: @raidersbeat
Well, Geno. There’s always flag football, the UFL, or the arena league-in Germany.
Well, that works out perfectly because I want him out.
Let’s make it happen. Still, there needs to be depth at this position so, I suggest two veteran quarterbacks, namely Malik Willis and Joshua Dobbs. Additionally, let lead footed Adian O’Connell and Kenny Pickett walk. Like them or not, one thing for sure, they represent a fresh start for this team and surely no one thinks that either of them are the future of this team.
You have no clue. Aiden has skills.
And command of the offense. How many offenses has he been force fed? Out for how long? Comes in with very limited time and provides enough spark to get. Win against the spleefs when everyone could’ve grayed out. If Pickett stayed in we’d of been blown out in that game.
You whine about his mobility. Smfh
Whether you agree with me or disagree is inconsequential. The “brain thrust” of this organization is going to do what they think is best. Thus far their decisions have not yielded positive results, in terms of wins vs losses. Instead of criticizing my choices and suggestions. your “efforts ,” to improve this team would best be served by directing your comments and suggestions to the actual people who put this team together and will make decisions about it’s future direction.
Now it’s time for fans to give him the finger.
Thanks for the memories, Geno. Bad ones, of course. Enjoy watching your former Seahawks teammates in the playoffs as the #1 Seed. Don’t forget to get that Thank You note in the mail to Pete for saving your sorry but twice and extending your career another four years and 50 million dollars.
Everyone with a clue wants him OUT.
And those fools talking about Mendoza’s “awesome” game,………..17 completions. 177 yards. Those mathematically challenged that about a ten yard per chuck average.
Check down Charley personified. Out of a shotgun.
Number one pick?? Paleeezz.
We gotta ask ourselves, WTH are they waiting for. He should’ve been cut right after his daddy Carroll. Time to clean house. LET’S GO!