Aug 18, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) participates in early pregame warmups against the Chicago Bears while head coach Pete Carroll (background) watches at Lumen Field. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Report: Multiple other teams were interested in Geno Smith

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Connor Benintendi | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Right as the dust was settling on the Geno Smith trade, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer released a deep-dive into the deal from the 12th-year quarterback's perspective — painting a picture of a veteran passer who knew the clock was ticking on his time with the Seattle Seahawks.

Within that article was a report from Breer that Smith's new two-year, $75 million contract extension with the Raiders ($85 million max value) "wasn’t all that dissimilar from the one the Seahawks had offered him in the raw amount of money written into the contract." Smith reportedly felt disconnected from the direction the team was headed and that he wasn't part of the long-term plans.

But after Smith received Seattle's contract offer and decided not to counter, he learned multiple teams other than Las Vegas might be interested in trading for him. Reuniting with Pete Carroll, however, was obviously Smith's preferred destination.

"Carroll was hired in Vegas on Jan. 24, and when contract negotiations went the way Smith figured they might last summer, Smith’s agent, Chafie Fields, laid out trade scenarios," Breer wrote. "On a call, Fields told Smith that the Raiders were interested. So were two other teams."

Other teams being interested in Smith isn't exactly surprising, especially since he was much better in 2024 than his numbers showed. NFL teams were aware of how good Smith could be if given enough time to operate. His decision-making at times last season also seemed to be him trying to make a play that wasn't there — something Smith was better at avoiding his first two years as a starter.

The main thing working against Smith is and has been his age. Carroll, however, seemingly always believed he could be a long-term option at quarterback. That was confirmed when the team traded a third-round pick for Smith.

We may never know what other teams were genuinely interested in trading for Smith, but it reveals how the rest of the NFL views the veteran signal-caller. The Seahawks got their younger option under center in Sam Darnold as a result.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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