Raiders still have big QB questions even after Geno Smith trade

The Las Vegas Raiders were one of the teams most in need of a quarterback heading into the 2025 offseason, and they are working to fill that gap by striking a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for Geno Smith on Friday night.

In exchange for Smith, the Raiders are sending a third-round draft pick back to Seattle. 

In the short term, it makes sense for the Raiders. Smith is a clear upgrade over what they had at the position, and he has a history with new head coach Pete Carroll. That's the good news. 

The bad news is it still leaves the Raiders with some serious long-term question marks at the position, and that will be the case whether they re-sign Smith beyond this season or not. 

Signing him or not signing can both create its own set of issues.

Let's start with the harsh reality that while Smith is a clear upgrade over the Gardner Minshew-Aidan O'Connell duo the Raiders were using a year ago, he is a step below the top-tier quarterbacks in the NFL. 

Smith is good. Maybe even, at times, very good. He did a solid job resurrecting his career in Seattle after being a backup for most of his career and turning himself into an above-average starter. 

The Raiders are not an above-average quarterback away from contending. However, their lineup has significant holes, and Smith might not be enough to fill all or even some of them. With a better supporting cast than he will have in Las Vegas, the Seahawks have been only a nine-win team the past two seasons. 

Suppose they re-sign him, which they are reportedly interested in doing to make him their quarterback of the future. In that case, they might be looking at a contract north of $40 million, given the going rate of starting quarterback contracts in the NFL. That would be a big chunk of money for a quarterback that might not be a player that can get them closer to contention. It could also be a detriment to their long-term salary cap.