Last offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders brought in the tandem of head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith with hopes of getting back into playoff contention.
The Raiders had plenty of talent on the roster but had struggled to find a coach and quarterback in recent years to get them over the hump. The hope was that Carroll and Smith would bring some much-needed maturity to the organization.
Unfortunately, that is not how things played out as the Raiders had the worst record in the league in 2025. As a result, they decided to part ways with Carroll and now will be doing the same with Smith, per Adam Schefter of ESPN:
ESPN sources: the Raiders are releasing last season’s starting quarterback Geno Smith, barring a trade before the start of the new league year. By releasing Smith, the Raiders will open up $8M in salary cap space while taking on $18.5M in dead money. pic.twitter.com/MZGLKJPEeX
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2026
This is the second straight offseason in which Klint Kubiak took a job with Geno Smith as the QB on the roster, and then Smith was moved.
Last year, he was hired as Seahawks OC, and Smith was traded.
This year, he was hired as Raiders HC, and Smith was released. https://t.co/Grzmwaw2zz
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2026
The Raiders traded a third-round pick to Seattle last year to acquire Geno Smith.
He still is owed $18.5 million guaranteed from Las Vegas in 2026. But the Raiders are clearing the deck at quarterback for the expected selection of No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. https://t.co/Grzmwaw2zz
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2026
This move doesn’t come as a surprise as the Raiders are beginning a new era with Klint Kubiak as head coach and expected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza at quarterback.
While the Raiders will save some money by cutting Smith, they will also take on a significant dead cap hit since he only played one season with the team.
Smith did a nice job of turning his career around in recent years, but things just didn’t work out in Las Vegas for the 35-year-old. He started 15 games for the team and went 2-13, completing 67.4% of his passes for 3,025 yards with 19 touchdowns and a league-leading 17 interceptions.
The Raiders will likely bring in a veteran quarterback this offseason to mentor Mendoza, but it won’t be Smith as he looks to find a new home.
Raiders seeking Micah Parsons package for Maxx Crosby
The next move for the Raiders could be trading superstar Maxx Crosby, but the price tag will be high as they are reportedly seeking a Micah Parsons-like package for the edge rusher.
