Raiders lock in Geno Smith past 2025 season with 2-year extension: reports
The Las Vegas Raiders are not just committing to Geno Smith for the 2025 season, they are going beyond as they agreed to a two-year, $75 million extension, according to multiple reports.
The Raiders traded for Smith earlier this offseason, reuniting the veteran gunslinger with his old Seattle Seahawks head coach, Pete Carroll, who took over the job in Sin City.
The 34-year-old had one year left on his Seahawks contract, leaving many to believe Smith could perhaps be a stopgap option before a younger, franchise-type player joins the quarterbacks room.
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However, the Raiders are giving Smith $66.5 million in guaranteed money, per ESPN, and the total of the deal could push to $85.5 million with incentives. This all means Smith is locked in for the next few seasons as the Raiders aim to get back into the playoffs.
Smith is now contractually attached to the Raiders through the 2027 campaign.
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He will play on the $31 million deal that was left in Seattle’s contract with him in 2025, and the Raiders sent a third-round pick to acquire him before free agency began. Since then, Sam Darnold has filled Smith’s void in Seattle, as he is set to be their franchise quarterback now.
The Raiders were always in the market for a quarterback after Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell didn’t work out in split duties in 2024. Minshew also moved on, signing with the Kansas City Chiefs to be Patrick Mahomes’ backup next season.
Minshew’s pending free agency paved the way to perhaps give O’Connell a clear shot at the starting role, but he hasn’t proved to be ready for that after a roller-coaster first two seasons in the NFL.
With Smith aboard, Carroll’s Raiders can compete right away in a tough AFC West division. And he’s coming off not just his best season but a record-breaking one for the Seahawks.
Smith set a new team passing yards record for a single season with 4,320, and his 70.4% completion rate for the year was also a record. He threw for 21 touchdowns, though he will want to get those 15 interceptions down in 2025.
Seattle ended up going 10-7, and that would’ve been a playoff year in past seasons, but the Seahawks just missed the postseason.
But Carroll knows just what Smith can bring to an offense after Smith was a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback with the Seahawks while he was coaching. Smith was a journeyman who flamed out with past organizations, including the New York Jets, which drafted him.
However, Smith has proven to get the job done when given the proper tools to run an offense, and that’s what Carroll hopes can happen in year 1 in Las Vegas. It’s not just one year, though, as Smith is locked in for seasons after 2025.
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