The Las Vegas Raiders will release quarterback Geno Smith at the start of the new league year on Wednesday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday, ending Smith’s brief, one-year stint with the team.
The move was widely anticipated, as the Raiders hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and are expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Cutting Smith before March 13 allows Las Vegas to avoid an $8 million fully guaranteed salary, saving that amount against the salary cap while incurring $18.5 million in dead money, according to Over the Cap.
Smith joined a revamped Raiders team last offseason under then-head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek, who traded for him from the Seattle Seahawks and signed him to a two-year extension. However, the partnership never produced the desired results.
Playing behind a struggling offensive line and with limited skill-position talent, Smith threw for 3,025 yards over 15 starts, averaging 201.7 yards per game, with 19 touchdowns and a league-worst 17 interceptions. The Raiders finished 3–14, ranking dead last in the NFL in both points and total yards. Carroll was fired after the season, with former Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak taking over as head coach.
With Smith gone and Kenny Pickett expected to enter free agency, the Raiders currently have only Aidan O’Connell on their quarterback roster.
Smith’s career has been a rollercoaster. Originally a second-round pick by the New York Jets, he bounced around as a backup for New York, the Giants, Los Angeles Chargers, and the Seahawks before reviving his career in Seattle in 2022, earning his first of two Pro Bowl nods.
Despite a rough season in Las Vegas, Smith is expected to attract interest around the league. Teams in need of a veteran presence at quarterback—including the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, and even the Jets—could see him as a high-end backup, starting QB competition, or a bridge for a young passer.
