Geno Smith is one and done with the Silver and Black.
The Las Vegas Raiders will release the quarterback at the start of the new league year on Wednesday after just a single season with the team, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Friday.
Releasing Smith was an expected move as the Raiders own the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft and are widely expected to select Indiana's Fernando Mendoza.
Parting ways with Smith was a transaction that was advantageous for Las Vegas to make prior to March 13, when Smith would have received an additional $8 million in fully guaranteed salary. Per Over the Cap, cutting Smith will save the Raiders $8 million on the salary cap, while forcing them to eat $18.5 million in dead money.
A remade Raiders team under then-head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek acquired Smith from the Seahawks last offseason. Smith was subsequently signed to a two-year extension, but the move didn't work out the way either party imagined.
Playing behind a porous offensive line with a lack of skill position options, Smith threw for 3,025 yards in 15 starts (201.7 yards per game) with 19 touchdowns and a league-worst 17 interceptions in 2025. The 3-14 Raiders had an offense that was dead last in the NFL in points and yards, and Carroll was fired after the season with Seattle OC Klint Kubiak hired as the new HC last month.
With Smith gone and Kenny Pickett set to enter free agency, the Raiders are currently left with just Aidan O'Connell in their QB room.
As for Smith, he was once upon a time a second-round bust with the New York Jets who became a backup for Gang Green, the New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers and Seahawks. In 2022, though, he resurrected his career in Seattle, earning the first of two Pro Bowl nods.
His time with the Raiders went horribly, but there are likely to be suitors aplenty for his services. Smith could be a high-end backup option, starting QB competition or a bridge to a young signal-caller.
As Smith leaves Las Vegas, teams such as the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers and even the Jets could be viable landing spots.
