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'He has already influenced a bunch of guys' - Pete Carroll can't stop raving about a new player that's helping change the culture

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Justin Churchill | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 5:41 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders needed a change, well, a few changes. They needed to change the regime, and they did, hiring former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who is known as a program builder.

So, they got that change down, and the next one was even more obvious -- a change at the quarterback position, where they have massively failed the last two seasons. They cut Gardner Minshew, and he is now on the Kansas City Chiefs. So, they went and traded for Geno Smith, a guy who has proven he can be an elite quarterback in this league, but also a great leader.

And, that's what they have needed most. They not only needed a quarterback who was good, but one who could help establish the culture that Carroll wants, and who better than the guy he had in Seattle?

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"He's shown it, he has had every opportunity with Chip's offense, sharing it with Geno, it's really coming together where you can tell Geno is a big part of it. He's got such a consistent mentality of the way he competes, practices, and goes to meetings, that he has already influenced a bunch of guys," Carroll said during the Raiders Media Day.

"He's just being Geno. He's got some issues, too, now, just like we all do. I've got mine too, but Geno and I have figured out how we can get through the challenge to do what we want to do."

The Raiders are in desperate need of a good, consistent, winning culture, maybe more than any team in the league. They haven't had that, maybe ever, and in the Raiders' case, they need their QB to be both good and show everyone else how to follow the culture, and how to win.

Geno Smith is already influencing other guys, and he hasn't even been on the team for a full season yet, let alone played a single snap. That's the makings of a great leader.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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