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Geno Smith Explains Why He Wanted to Leave Seahawks for Raiders

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Austin C. Boyd | Last updated May 31, 2025 2:09 PM ET

It's not often that a starting quarterback wants to get traded from his current team. In Geno Smith's case, he had a good thing going with the Seattle Seahawks. The team had three straight winning seasons with him under center and appears headed in the right direction.

Despite that, Smith wanted to be traded and specifically wanted to reunite with head coach Pete Carroll on the Las Vegas Raiders. He had a chance to explain why he wanted to make that change.

"Everything about it," Smith said when asked why he wanted to go to the Raiders during a Thursday press conference. "Coach Carroll, Las Vegas, the Raiders, the silver and black - this is a historic franchise. One of the most historic franchises in all of sports ... to say I can wear this helmet and this logo is special to me."

The Seahawks were headed in a younger direction with Mike McDonald at head coach, but they were still hoping to give Smith a contract extension. Instead, he wanted to be in Las Vegas.

Seattle was able to sign Sam Darnold in free agency, so it's possible that both sides end up with closer to what they wanted. So far, the Raiders are loving what Smith brings to the team.

“Geno can be a blessing to coaches,” offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said. “He’s special. Everybody is a by-product of their environment. Not a lot of guys would have shown his resiliency or his perseverance. It’s hard to talk the talk when you haven’t walked the walk, and he has been in all those shoes.

“He has lived a life of being a high draft pick to a guy who was told a team didn’t want him. To go through all that and come out as he has is a testament to him. He’s relatable to everyone in the room.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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