The Las Vegas Raiders have been in quarterback purgatory since the 2002 NFL season when MVP Rich Gannon led the team to Super Bowl XXXVII. Even Derek Carr, who holds multiple franchise records, was unable to win as much as a playoff game in his nine years with the organization.
Last season, things reached their tipping point, as the team brought in journeyman Gardner Minshew as their eventual starter. Minshew was unable to use his athletic ability to scramble and make plays for the Silver and Black, and too often he stared down targets like Brock Bowers or Jakobi Meyers.
This poor play led to him being benched and the Raiders winning only four games during the 2024 NFL season. As a result, the regime was replaced, and the new blood cut Minshew and brought in Geno Smith, who is already doing things differently at training camp in Las Vegas.
Geno Smith displaying skills at Raiders training camp former QBs could only dream of
Practices began this week, and while nothing is fully live or in pads yet, the offense is already showing significant signs of improvement. Most notably, Smith is doing all the things that Raider Nation wanted Minshew to be doing last year.
During Friday's practice, The Athletic's Tashan Reed reported that Smith threw an early interception to free agent acquisition Lonnie Johnson Jr. on a pass intended for Brock Bowers. Instead of clamming up, however, Smith responded in a major way.
In the plays that followed, Smith found third-year players Tre Tucker and Michael Mayer for two touchdowns. Not only is this a strong response from Smith, but it shows that he and new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly are finding ways to get players other than just Bowers and Meyers involved.
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ESPN's Ryan McFadden also reported that Smith was able to escape the pocket later in practice and scramble for a touchdown. In just one practice, Smith was able to accomplish what Minshew could not by both using his legs and spreading the ball around to multiple targets.
Obviously, Smith will need a strong rapport with both Bowers and Meyers, as these are the Raiders' two best pass-catching options right now. However, Las Vegas' new quarterback could put the team in hot water if he decides to only look in these two players' direction.
Smith is arguably the most important player for the Silver and Black this season. Fortunately, he seems to be off to a hot start for the Raiders and should be able to easily eclipse what Minshew accomplished in Las Vegas last year, which wasn't much.