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Geno Smith's Long, Winding Road to Las Vegas
Nov 27, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Geno Smith's Long, Winding Road to Las Vegas

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant  |  Last updated Apr 8, 2025 12:30 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders traded for Geno Smith a few weeks ago after two seasons of failed quarterback play. The Raiders have tried multiple options of addressing the position, but failed to find a quality starting quarterback in the process.

After adding Pete Carroll as the team's head coach earlier in the offseason, the Raiders turned their attention towards securing a quality starting quarterback. Las Vegas traded a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks to reunite Caroll with his former quarterback, Geno Smith.

Smith has repeatedly noted how Carroll has helped him have the best seasons of his career, while the two were together in Seattle. Before landing in Seattle, Smith bounced around the league, playing for three teams in six years before landing in Seattle with Carroll.

Smith rode the bench for years behind Russell Wilson in Seattle, improving as a quarterback before eventually becoming the starting quarterback. After becoming the Seahawks' starting quarterback in 2022, Smith led them to a winning record in two of his three seasons as the starter.

"The biggest lesson I've learned is to stay consistent and to keep your head down in your work. I've figured out how to eliminate outside noise," Smith said.

"I realized that in this business, this is the big leagues, and there's a lot of talk that goes on, but I understand that the work is what matters the most, and what you actually do is what matters the most. And so, I know we're here doing a lot of talking today, but I'm really about, just like Marshawn [Lynch] said, I'm about that action.” 

Smith has accumulated 40 wins as a starter in the National Football League, giving the Raiders more experience at the position than they have had since the failed Jimmy Garoppolo experiment.

Las Vegas hopes Smith can take them to the next level after struggling mightily over the past two seasons. While the Raiders need much more than Smith to be a consistently competitive team next season, adding the veteran quarterback was unquestionably the right move.

The Raiders appear to be headed in the right direction, but only time will tell.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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