Las Vegas Raiders 2025 Positional Overview: Quarterback

Ever since Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders parted ways after the 2022 season, the organization has been searching for an answer at the quarterback position. Through Jimmy Garoppolo and Gardner Minshew, they struggled to find it over the last few years.

This year’s QB room looks different. Las Vegas made it happen early this offseason, acquiring Geno Smith. After not taking a quarterback with a high pick in the draft, Smith looks poised to start. Let’s take a closer look at the room as a whole.

Las Vegas Raiders 2025 Positional Overview: Quarterback

The Starter: Geno Smith

Quickly into his tenure as the Raiders’ head coach, Pete Carroll made sure to reunite himself with his old quarterback from Seattle. The Raiders sent a third-round pick in exchange for Smith and worked to sign him to a two-year contract extension as well.

Smith’s been the starter for the past three years with the Seahawks, and he’s done well. In 2024, he posted a 70.4-percent completion rate while throwing for 4,320 yards, 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His passer rating of 93.2 is solid considering the porous offensive line he played behind.

Smith will be 37 by the time his contract with the Raiders expires. By no means is he the quarterback of the future—that’s something that the team will have to figure out. For now, though, he gives the Raiders a solid player at the position and likely the best quarterback play the franchise has seen in several years.

The Backup: Aidan O’Connell

This is a familiar face and a name that has become well-liked by Raider Nation. O’Connell has done as well as he could in some tough situations over the last two years. Some of his best moments as a starter include his win over the Chiefs in Kansas City in 2023, as well as a couple of other key wins during the back half of that season.

Unfortunately, there just isn’t much of a high ceiling for O’Connell. He’s a gritty player who leaves it all on the line, but Geno Smith is far and away the better QB option on the roster. O’Connell is a backup, but he should be one of the league’s best this season.

Fighting To Make The Roster

Cam Miller

To be clear, Tommy Mellott could be considered here, but since he will likely transition to wide receiver, he’s not included on this list.

For Miller, the Raiders’ use of draft capital this offseason may give him an advantage over his competitors. Miller was a late-Day 3 pick, so it wasn’t a giant investment. It’s capital nonetheless, compared to Bradley, who’s been with the organization previously and hasn’t gotten much of a chance.

In terms of statistics, Miller excelled during his final year at North Dakota State. He completed 73.5 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,251 yards, 33 touchdowns and four interceptions. While it did come at the FCS level, those are impressive numbers. If he can continue that kind of success into training camp and the preseason, he should have no problem making the roster.

Carter Bradley

Bradley will have a tougher time trying to make the roster. He spent the 2024 season with the Raiders but didn’t get a chance to play any meaningful snaps, despite the poor quarterback play throughout the season from whoever the starter was. Bradley did get some preseason action but didn’t look especially impressive there either.

Carter got a chance to play in all three preseason games last year. Bradley completed 17 of his 34 attempts, for 225 total yards. He threw one touchdown and one interception.