Darnold, Smith, Fields start quarterback carousel in NFL free agency
Sam Darnold, Geno Smith and Justin Fields among the early quarterback moves in NFL free agency. Tyler Dragon breaks down which team stands to gain the most.
The Las Vegas Raiders acquired quarterback Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks in an offseason trade. The organization is making it clear the veteran is set to be the team’s starting quarterback for years to come.
The Raiders signed Smith to a two-year extension Thursday, according to multiple reports. The deal will tie Smith with Derek Carr to be the 16th-highest-paid quarterback in terms of average annual value (AAV), per OverTheCap.com.
Smith’s extension comes on the heels of a difficult 2024 season for the Raiders. They posted a record of 4-13 and saw their starting quarterbacks – Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder – post a combined passer rating of 80.05.
Smith will serve as an upgrade for the Raiders, but are they overpaying for him ahead of his 35-year-old season? USA TODAY Sports takes a look at Smith’s new contract and grades the move for the Raiders.
Geno Smith contract details
Smith inked a two-year extension with the Raiders less than a month after joining the team. Below are the terms of the deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
- Term: 2 years
- Total value: $75 million
- AAV: $37.5 million
- Guaranteed money: $66.5 million
The total value of Smith’s two-year extension can be worth up to $88.5 million if he hits specific incentives.
Smith had one year remaining on the three-year, $75 million extension he signed with the Seahawks following his Pro Bowl 2022 season. As such, he is now poised to make over $100 million with the Raiders; he had $30 million remaining on the deal he signed with the Seahawks, per OverTheCap.com.
Grading Geno Smith contract extension
There are plenty of positives for the Raiders in acquiring Smith. He is clearly an upgrade over what the team had at quarterback last season and has familiarity with Pete Carroll, having played for the veteran coach for five years in Seattle.
The biggest question is whether Smith fits Las Vegas’ timeline for contention. He turns 35 in October and the Raiders were one of the worst teams in the league last season. They need to add a lot to their roster to contend.
Will Carroll and general manager John Spytek be able to reshape the team into a playoff contender during Smith’s current three-year deal? It could be a challenge, especially playing in the loaded AFC West, which sent three teams to the playoffs last season. As such, opting for an older quarterback can be questioned.
That said, it’s worth noting that the 2025 NFL draft class is considered weak at quarterback. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders have gotten most of the buzz at quarterback, but none of the signal-callers are viewed to be a sure thing. The Raiders also have the sixth overall pick, so they aren’t guaranteed to land one of the top quarterbacks.
Could the Raiders have gone with a younger quarterback in free agency? Sure, but the same questions that exist with Smith would have existed with Sam Darnold or Justin Fields in the fold. Those two quarterbacks went to the Seahawks and New York Jets on deals cheaper than the one Smith ended up getting. Still, Smith’s familiarity with Carroll made the Raiders willing to pay slightly more for the veteran’s services.
All told Smith is better than any quarterback the Raiders might have landed in the third round of the draft, so the capital they surrendered to get him was sensible. He then got a solid, market-value deal, so it’s hard to complain much about Las Vegas’ maneuvers given how poor its quarterback play was last season.
Grade: B
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