Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

How the Raiders Have To Approach This Offseason

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Jan 23, 2026 10:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders' future will be heavily influenced by how they handle this offseason. A new head coach, a new quarterback, a new culture entirely. The Raiders are looking to bounce back from an egregious 3 - 14 season, and they must navigate this offseason carefully and weigh all their options.

The silver lining to all of this failure is that they're going to end up with Fernando Mendoza as their franchise quarterback. He's a big upgrade from the quarterback play they had last season, which was a crucial ingredient in the disaster Pete Carroll was cooking. With the Raiders heading in a new direction, where does that leave Geno Smith and his future with the team?

Smith on the Move?

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Bradley Locker is a sports writer for Pro Football Focus , and he identified 15 players who are most likely to be traded this offseason. Smith was on the list as one of the possible quarterbacks, with names such as Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa accompanying him.

"Point blank, Smith played like one of the worst quarterbacks in football this season. His 58.2 PFF passing grade was the second-lowest among qualifiers, and his 3.0% big-time throw rate was the third-worst in that group. Smith was also woeful under pressure, posting a league-worst 28.8 passing grade in such situations", said Locker.

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Looking back on it, the Seattle Seahawks came out like bandits. They got rid of Carroll and Smith in exchange for Mike Macdonald and Sam Darnold, and even got a third-round pick out of the Raiders. They will now be playing for a chance at a Super Bowl appearance, while the Raiders have to find a team desperate enough to take a chance on the 35-year-old veteran.

I don't think it would be a bad idea to keep him as the team's backup quarterback, but if a team sends an offer the Raiders can't refuse, then it would be a great way of getting his contract off the books. A pick comparable or a little better or worse should suffice. Other than that, I think he'd be a valuable asset to Mendoza's development.

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Regardless of what becomes of Smith this offseason, his time in the Silver and Black will always be remembered by many for his numerous interceptions. For Raider Nation, he'll be remembered by the sour attitude he grew over the season and his lack of leadership on the field.

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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