No team in the NFL improved its quarterback situation more than the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. The addition of Geno Smith gives the Raiders a bonafide franchise quarterback who can run the offense at an elite level, and his familiarity with Pete Carroll makes the fit even better.
But even the biggest Geno Smith fans will admit that he isn’t a long-term solution as the veteran quarterback will turn 35 in October. Las Vegas rewarded Smith with a two-year extension this offseason, but there is no guaranteed money left on his deal after the 2026 season.
In fact, the Raiders could potentially move on from Smith after the 2025 season with just $18.5 million in dead cap, according to Over The Cap. While that isn’t likely, it is a possible solution if the franchise decides to move in another direction.
The Raiders are in a good spot with their quarterback position, with Smith now installed as the starter. Aidan O’Connell is now the clear No. 2 quarterback on the roster, and he should fill that spot well after 17 starts over the past two seasons. His passer rating of 85.1 is near the league average, and he improved across the board in his second year.
Raiders rookie QB Cam Miller could the franchise QB in Las Vegas
O’Connell cannot be relied upon to be an every-week starter, but he should be one of the league’s best backup quarterbacks and will have no problem doing so for the next decade. But the bigger question is who could potentially replace Smith as the team’s next franchise quarterback? There is one candidate on the roster who has a lot of untapped upside, which is none other than Cam Miller, the sixth-round pick by the Raiders during the 2025 NFL Draft.
Many thought the Raiders could consider drafting a quarterback early this year, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, they waited until late on Day 3 of the NFL Draft to grab Miller. And while he isn’t a household name, there is a lot to be excited about moving forward.
In a recent article by Ben Cooper of Pro Football Focus, he wrote about Miller and why the Raiders might have a future franchise quarterback. Here is a snippet on what the Raiders could be getting with their sixth-round pick:
"The North Dakota State product earned elite 90.0-plus PFF overall grades in each of the past two seasons, and his 1.7% turnover-worthy play rate over that span was one of the best marks in college football," Cooper wrote. "He comes with the obvious caveat that recent North Dakota State quarterbacks have been hit-or-miss in the NFL, from Carson Wentz to Easton Stick to Trey Lance."
One of the biggest reasons to be excited about Miller is his athleticism. While his testing numbers weren’t elite, as evidenced by his 4.84-second 40-yard dash, he did rush for 2,277 yards and 48 touchdowns during his collegiate career. One would be hard-pressed to find very many college quarterbacks with that type of production.
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Miller isn’t just a running quarterback. He also averaged at least 9.2 yards per passing attempt in three separate seasons with the Bisons, and during the 2024 season, he threw 33 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Unlike Trey Lance, he’s got plenty of starting experience, with over 3,000 career snaps, according to the Pro Football Focus article.
It’s going to take some time for Miller to get used to the speed of the NFL, but he should get it with the Raiders. He’s not going to be forced into the starting lineup anytime soon with Smith and O’Connell ahead of him, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be an option down the road.
Look for Miller to see plenty of snaps throughout training camp and the preseason as the former North Dakota State star will try to make the 53-man roster. And with a strong preseason, it’s possible that he could challenge O’Connell for the No. 2 job. Don’t rule out Miller being a long-term option for the Raiders after an incredibly productive college career. He’s just the type of quarterback that could thrive in Chip Kelly’s offense.
