Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith has been perhaps the organization’s biggest disappointment in an underwhelming 2025 season. After reviving his career with the Seattle Seahawks, new head coach Pete Carroll sent a third-round pick to Seattle for the veteran’s services. Nobody thought Smith was going to win the MVP, but competent quarterback play should have made Vegas more competitive in 2025.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Smith has recaptured his Jets form, completing 67% of his passes for 2,648 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. The Radiers are 2-11 with him under center and have decent odds of earning the first-overall pick. Despite all this, a recent report from Levi Edwards of Raiders.com says Geno Smith will remain the Raiders quarterback for the remainder of the season.
REPORT: Geno Smith Will Remain Raiders Starting QB
This report comes after former first-round pick Kenny Pickett failed to do anything with his opportunity. Smith missed last week’s action due to injury, and Pickett put up one of the worst performances you will ever see. Starting in a 31-0 defeat, the former Steeler completed 15 of his 25 passes for a measly 64 yards. Smith may not be living up to his contract this year, but Pickett looked like he didn’t belong in the NFL.
It’s a little surprising the Raiders have not looked to third-string quarterback Aidan O’Connell as a potential replacement for Geno Smith. While the former fourth-round pick suffered a preseason injury that sidelined him for most of 2025, he is healthy now and could play if called upon. The Purdue product started at various points over the past two seasons and, while he’s clearly not a franchise quarterback, he looked like a solid backup who could be a decent bridge option. In his 20 career appearances (17 starts), O’Connell has completed 62.6% of his passes for 3,830 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Looking Towards The Future
Geno Smith will be the Raiders quarterback for the rest of the season, but it’s hard to envision the team not adding competition in 2026. As mentioned earlier, Vegas currently has a 2-12 record, tied for the worst mark in the league. If the season ended today, they’d have the second-overall pick.
Assuming they don’t go on a late-season winning streak, it’s safe to assume the Raiders will finish with a top-five pick. If this happens, they could invest in someone like Alabama’s Ty Simpson or Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Geno Smith carries a $26.5 million cap hit for the Raiders next year, a reasonable number for a starting quarterback but way too much for a backup. Vegas can save $8 million in cap space by cutting him before June 1st, which will likely happen if the team finds a better quarterback. O’Connell still has one more year of team control and is a far more cost-effective backup for whoever begins the season under center next year.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – Imagn Images
