The Las Vegas Raiders are trying to get it right at two of the most integral positions on a football field. They've got a new head coach prowling the sidelines and chomping gum in Pete Carroll, and now they have their new quarterback.
The Seattle Seahawks traded Geno Smith to the Raiders, and in return, Vegas sent back a third-round draft pick for the opportunity to reconnect Carroll and Smith.
Carroll won a Super Bowl in Seattle with Russell Wilson, but it was Carroll who ultimately believed in Smith when he was seen as just another NFL Draft bust of the New York Jets. They selected him in the second round of the 2013 draft and quickly found out at the time that he wasn't starting material. Smith then went around the league as a backup before Carroll gave him the chance to start in 2022 when Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos.
Smith repaid Carroll's belief in him off by becoming one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the NFL. He even led Seattle to the playoffs in his first season as the starter.
Now reunited in Vegas, Smith told reporters earlier this week that he believes he and Carroll are back together for a reason.
"I think there is unfinished business," Smith said Monday, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. "And I think, when people think about my story, Coach Carroll was a big part of that. He gave me an opportunity when not many people would have."
Smith is not among the elite tier of quarterbacks — nobody will mistake him for Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson. He can absolutely win games in this league, though, with the right players around him.
He's also a veteran leader who is the perfect quarterback to spearhead Carroll's transition to Las Vegas. Not only does Carroll believe in him, but Smith believes in himself.
"I mean, not weeks, I'm talking for years playing behind Russell [Wilson], and he just never let up on that thought. And it was so impressive to me," Carroll said of Smith's belief that he was always starting quarterback material. "As soon as we had the opportunity to put him in a position to take the lead, I couldn't wait. And he's been a winner ever since."
Smith threw for 8,641 yards and 55 touchdowns (21 interceptions) in 37 games under Carroll in Seattle. He was also named a Pro Bowler twice.
"I'll run through a wall for him, and he knows that," Smith said of his head coach.
That's a connection that could make very dangerous in 2025, so keep an eye out for the Raiders.
