After a disastrous season in 2024, the Las Vegas Raiders have undergone a series of organizational changes under owner Mark Davis.
Not only did the team replace their previous head coach and general manager this offseason with a highly-touted duo of Pete Carroll and John Spytek, but Davis began selling minority stakes in the Raiders. Now, legendary quarterback Tom Brady is a part of the team's ownership group and has been helping the franchise with personnel decisions.
Brady was instrumental in the acquisition of quarterback Geno Smith, who the team traded a third-round pick for in early March. The Raiders finally introduced Smith at the team facility in Henderson, Nevada, on Monday morning after announcing the details of his contract extension.
Geno Smith details first conversation with Tom Brady after landing with Raiders
Smith was asked in his introductory press conference if he had established much of a relationship with minority owner Tom Brady yet. The Raiders' new quarterback responded that not only had he talked with Brady, but that the two already see eye-to-eye.
"I got a chance to FaceTime with Tom once I was traded," Smith said. "I got a chance to talk to him, I went to his home. Got a chance to spend about an hour and just talk ball and just talk life with him. You understand why he is who he is. He takes everything extremely serious(ly), he's a diligent worker and he believes in hard work, and I think we align that way."
The Raiders can do far worse than trading for a quarterback that aligns with Brady, the greatest player to ever pick up a football. While nobody is arguing that Smith is one of the best to ever play the game, Brady signing off on a player is significant.
Smith has been one of the most accurate passers in the league over the last several seasons, and he provides a sense of stability for a Las Vegas team that has craved consistency at the quarterback position. With high-end targets like Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, this offense can really start to hum under first-year offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
Carroll brought out the best in Smith when the two worked together in Seattle, and Raider Nation is expecting this duo to pick up where they left off. In the two years before Carroll left the Seahawks, Smith was a Pro Bowler in each season and won the 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Smith already has a great relationship with Carroll and Brady, and fans of the NFL know that organizational alignment is paramount to success. Las Vegas may not have a Tom Brady-like player under center, but they have a quarterback who is highly regarded and was sought out by the greatest of all time.
