The Las Vegas Raiders are moving on from starting quarterback Geno Smith after just one season.
The Raiders are set to release Smith unless they can find a trade partner before the start of the new league year on March 11, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The Raiders acquired Smith from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick – which later became Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe – during the 2025 NFL offseason. The move reunited the veteran quarterback with Pete Carroll, who spent five years coaching Smith with the Seahawks.
Smith struggled during his lone season with the Raiders. He posted a 2-13 record across 15 starts while completing 67.4% of his passes for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns and an NFL-high 17 interceptions.
Smith also took a league-high 55 sacks behind Las Vegas’ porous offensive line while his 84.7 passer rating ranked 35th among 42 qualified quarterbacks for the 2025 NFL season.
The Raiders fired Carroll after finishing the 2025 NFL season with a 3-14 record, tied for the worst in the NFL with the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans. Las Vegas landed the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft and is widely expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
That eventuality made Smith expendable.
Las Vegas will save $8 million against the salary cap by releasing Smith before the start of the new league year. The Raiders will take on a $18.5 million dead-cap hit as part of the transaction.
Smith, 35, figures to draw interest on the free agent market as an experienced stopgap signal-caller.