The 2025 season has turned into another miserable one for the Las Vegas Raiders, especially for Geno Smith, who has looked far worse than anyone could have imagined.
The Raiders traded for Smith in hopes of revamping their offense, and the move was initially lauded as the veteran has several strong seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. However, Smith has regressed so much that it’s held back Las Vegas on multiple occasions this year and left them near the bottom of the standings.
It’s not entirely Smith’s fault, as the Raiders’ skill position players have either been hurt or haven’t panned out, but the signal-caller hasn’t helped his case either. Too often, Smith is trying to force throws because Las Vegas is trailing, and that’s led to ugly interceptions or the end of drives.
While benching Smith has to be on the table, head coach Pete Carroll continues to defend his quarterback via Ryan McFadden of ESPN:
“I continue to really believe in him,” Carroll said Tuesday. “I have no hesitation in telling you that. He’s an incredible player, and he’s busting his tail, and he’s working really hard at it. He has not backed off one step throughout the process. …
“He’ll come through for us.”
Carroll added that he and the team also have to do their part and keep Smith upright:
“We just got to help him out more, got to protect him better,” Carroll said.
The offensive line’s woes in pass protection have been apparent all year, but Carroll could also be thinking about retooling the passing game to give him an easier time. Too often, Las Vegas has been forced into obvious passing-down situations, so perhaps this could lead to more touches for Ashton Jeanty and the ground game.
Regardless, this is already a season worth flushing down the drain for a Las Vegas team that desperately needs to overhaul the roster. Smith still has an opportunity to prove that he is worth sticking with as the starter beyond this season, but the Silver and Black might be spending another offseason searching for the right quarterback.
Raiders mildly concerned with Geno Smith’s performance
After a subpar day in the loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Geno Smith’s hold on the starting job began to feel even shakier. However, the Raiders internally were already having mild concerns over Smith’s performance, which could mean Pete Carroll will have no choice but to bench him.
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