Will Raiders' Geno Smith Overcome His Biggest Hurdle?

They're hoping that this change of scenery will result in another career resurgence, similar to the one he had with the Seattle Seahawks. The only reason the Seahawks were willing to let go of Smith despite him putting up impressive stats was their lack of playoff success, their not even making it in 2024, but also how he ended his tenure there.

Last year, he was tasked with carrying the offensive load for the Seahawks, which led to him having to sling the ball across the field repeatedly. This led to him having the second-most touchdowns in a single season in his career, but it also led to the second-most interceptions he's thrown in a year as well.

A 21 - 15 touchdown-to-interception ratio will not cut it, and if he wants to succeed with the Raiders, he'll have to reel in his turnovers and make fewer costly mistakes. Cody Benjamin, sports writer for CBS Sports, cites this as his primary reason why Smith is ranked so lowly in his quarterback tiers.

"There's little doubt Smith is an upgrade in Las Vegas, giving the silver and black a gutsy gunslinger who endured three years of shoddy protection with the Seattle Seahawks. He's also struggled to avoid nicks and turnover streaks since his surprise 2022 breakout. A wild-card fling feels like the safe bet here", said Benjamin.

It'll help Smith avoid putting the ball in harm's way when he can just hand the ball off to Ashton Jeanty and let him do the rest. His supporting cast may not be as talented as it was when he was in Seattle, but it's more quarterback-friendly and doesn't require him to throw the ball over and over again for their success as a team.

There will be moments where he'll have to step up and make game-changing plays for the Raiders in order for them to win, but I trust his experience and poise in those moments of immense pressure.