Could Geno Smith and Pete Carroll reunite in Las Vegas?
With the 34-year-old Smith facing an uncertain future with the Seattle Seahawks and Carroll now the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, ESPN Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson floated that idea on social media last Friday.
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Smith was on the Seahawks’ roster for Carroll’s final five seasons in Seattle. He was Russell Wilson’s backup from 2019 to 2021 and then started under Carroll in 2022 and 2023 after the blockbuster trade that sent Wilson to the Denver Broncos. The best season of Smith’s career came in 2022, when he led the league in completion percentage and ranked seventh in ESPN’s QBR metric.
“If the Seahawks and Geno Smith can’t agree on an extension early this offseason, Las Vegas would seem to be a logical trade option now that Carroll is there,” Henderson wrote shortly after news broke that the Raiders had hired the 73-year-old Carroll. “The Raiders need a QB and Carroll has an affinity for Smith, once calling him one of his all-time favorite players.”
Smith is signed with the Seahawks through 2025, having inked a three-year, $75 million contract extension in March 2023. But given the veteran quarterback’s rising salary cap hit and his reported desire for a new deal, it’s unlikely either side would want Smith to play out the 2025 season on his current contract.
According to Over The Cap, Smith’s salary cap hit jumps from $26.4 million in 2024 to $44.5 million in 2025. As it currently stands, that would put the Seahawks a projected $27.4 million over the cap in 2025 – more than just two others teams.
That essentially leaves the Seahawks with two realistic options. They could sign Smith to an extension on a restructured deal that reduces his 2025 cap hit, or they could either trade or release Smith, which would clear $31 million in cap space according to OTC.
Diving into how Geno Smith fits Raiders
If the Seahawks were to pursue a trade, could Las Vegas be a possibility? Vic Tafur, who covers the Raiders for The Athletic, was asked that question Monday on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob.
Las Vegas is in desperate need of a quarterback after spending the 2024 season with Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder under center. With the No. 6 overall pick, the Raiders could select a QB in April’s NFL Draft. They also could pursue a veteran QB, which is where Smith could become a potential option.
“I think it’s possible,” Tafur said. “… I think if you list all the possible options for Pete and the quarterback position, I’m sure that’s on the list somewhere. I’m sure that’s a possibility that he’s at least written down.”
Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard also thinks Vegas could make a push for Smith, but ultimately thinks Seahawks general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald will do their best to keep Smith in Seattle.
“I think (the Raiders pursuing a trade) would be within the realm of any reason,” Huard said. “… But my spidey sense is that Mike Macdonald really believes in Geno. My spidey sense is that John Schneider would like to see (new Seahawks offensive coordinator) Klint Kubiak and Geno Smith together. My spidey sense says there could be a lot of smoke and a lot of fire around this.
“And certainly Geno’s people, I would think, would love to leverage that and make sure everybody knows, and let Pete know, that their guy would love to be there and be a $50 million per year guy down there and everything. … But I think when it’s said and done, he’s more valuable to John and Mike in Seattle than he would be traded away to Vegas.”
