Oct 5, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to pass the ball against the Indianapolis Colts during the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Why Raiders' Geno Smith is Plummeting in QB Rankings

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Oct 11, 2025 12:00 PM ET

After five weeks of the 2025 National Football League season, the Las Vegas Raiders are going to have to kick-start something that they thought they would not need to this early. Raiders quarterback Geno Smith has not played well in the last games.

It has been tough for Smith and the rest of the Silver and Black. Smith has been turning the ball over a lot and is the leader in interceptions in the NFL. That is not something the Raiders can afford from their veteran quarterback.

The Raiders have gotten off to a horrible start this season. The Raiders are now 1-4, and the way they have been losing has been a major concern for this franchise. It has not looked good for the Silver and Black the last few weeks. This new regime was supposed to improve the Raiders and make them a competitive team. They are not showing any of that, especially in their Week 5 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. It was another horrible performance on the offensive side of the ball.

Nick Shook of NFL Network recently gave his NFL Quarterback Rankings, and he has Geno Smith in the second-to-last tier at the quarterback position. Shook put Smith at No. 28 overall.

Geno Smith Quarterback Ranking

Geno Smith's rough start in Las Vegas is only getting worse. He had a pass deflected in the red zone for an interception, found himself frequently behind schedule and fired one of the most mystifying INTs I've ever seen in a game that had gotten away from the Raiders, ripping a throw into a nonexistent window between two Colts defenders. His reaction -- aggressively unbuckling his chin strap before slamming his helmet into the turf -- was justified. I'm not sure how they fix this, though.

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The only quarterbacks that were below Smith in these rankings were rookie quarterbacks Dillion Gabriel of the Cleveland Browns and Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants. And backup quarterbacks Cooper Rush of the Baltimore Ravens and Jake Browning of the Cincinnati Bengals. This was a ranking no one saw coming when the season started for the Raiders. Now, Smith is looking to play way better than he has in the last four weeks. If he does not, he could get replaced.

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

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