The Las Vegas Raiders are giving recently acquired quarterback Geno Smith a two-year contract extension that has a maximum value of $85.5 million, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The deal, which includes $66.5 million guaranteed, keeps Smith in Las Vegas through the end of the 2027-28 season.
Last month, the Seattle Seahawks completed a trade with the Raiders that sent Smith to Vegas in exchange for a third-round pick. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as the Seahawks’ starter, where he earned Pro Bowl honors twice and was named the 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
QB Geno Smith is signing a two-year, $85.5 million extension that includes $66.5 million in guaranteed money with the Raiders, per source. Smith is now contractually tied to Las Vegas through the 2027 season. pic.twitter.com/ERp7Vh0DLG
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 3, 2025
“Getting Geno was a really important part of this puzzle, putting it together,” said Raiders head coach Pete Carroll three days ago at the NFL’s Annual League Meeting. “It was really important to me because I know what we can count on. We have a guy that is such a great worker. He’s grown so much through his career. He’s been through so much and overcome so much. I love the way he approaches the game… Man, he’s talented. He’s really talented!”
Last season, Smith threw for 4,320 passing yards, the fourth most in the NFL. On top of that, he tossed 21 touchdown passes while connecting on 70.4% of his passes, the fifth-highest mark in the league amongst all Week One starters.
What does this say about the Raiders?
This is a fascinating move because Geno Smith is not a spring chicken. He’s scheduled to turn 35 in October, the age at which we start to see journeyman quarterbacks think about hanging up their shoulder pads. However, Geno Smith is currently playing the best football of his career and is only one season removed from a Pro Bowl appearance. Considering he was originally scheduled to be a free agent next off-season, I think this is a smart choice by Vegas because it secures the quarterback position for at least the next two years. What they decide to do during the 2027-28 season is beyond me.
There are many things that I am taking away from this signing. The first is that the Raiders will NOT be selecting a quarterback in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. NFL teams don’t give their QBs short-term contract extensions like this unless they know exactly what they want to do at the quarterback position. Therefore, this tells me that Geno Smith is the undoubted starter in Las Vegas.
Another takeaway I have from this signing is that the Raiders are looking to win now. You don’t hitch your wagon to an aging quarterback and pay him $40+ million a year if you’re expecting to go 4-13 or 5-12. I believe that the Raiders believe that they will be ready to compete for a Super Bowl during the 2025-26 season.
The #Raiders now have Geno Smith under contract for the next three seasons – which is the same as Pete Carroll’s deal. Those two are tied together. https://t.co/i3SZWY4EF8
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 3, 2025
This also indicates to me what the Raiders’ draft strategy will be later this month. It will be focused on improving the team’s offensive weapons. I still think that they will end up drafting Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who finished last year with the second-most rushing yards ever in a single season (2,601). I also expect them to take a wide receiver and an offensive lineman in the earlier rounds of the draft. I wouldn’t be surprised if they traded up into the first round again to take a wideout like Luther Burden III, Emeka Egbuka, or Matthew Golden.
My final takeaway is that Vegas doesn’t see Geno Smith as a long-term answer at the quarterback spot. We rarely see these types of short-term extensions because they’re usually given to bridge quarterbacks who are there to lead a team until it finds its franchise quarterback. With that in mind, I think this guarantees the Raiders will draft or sign a quarterback in 2026 or 2027. They’re clearly turned off by the 2025 quarterback class.
