Given how bad the Las Vegas Raiders' quarterback room was last year, and considering Geno Smith's long-standing relationship with Pete Carroll, John Spytek felt confident sending a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for the veteran quarterback. After all, most thought Smith couldn't be worse.
Except for the fact that he has, indeed, been worse. Despite having the same pieces on the offensive line, a better duo of running backs and an influx of young talent at wide receiver, Smith has struggled to keep the Las Vegas offense afloat during the 2025 NFL season.
The crux of his issues has been taking care of the ball, as his tendency to throw interceptions has been well-documented and has sunk the team on multiple occasions. Smith has thrown a baffling 12 interceptions this season, just three fewer than he threw all of last season.
Geno Smith's second-half goals may sound a bit unrealistic
Smith has turned it over just two total times in the Raiders' two wins this year, but he's coughed the ball up 10 times in Las Vegas' seven losses. As expected, the team is 0-3 in games that he has turned the ball over multiple times,
Although there are still eight games left, talks about replacing Smith if he doesn't improve are certainly being had. The 13-year veteran revealed his goals for the second half of the season during his press conference on Thursday, and Raiders fans will have to see this before they believe it.
"I got to cut it loose, man. Just don't think too much. Just go out there and cut it loose. Play your game. Protect the football first and foremost," Smith said. "The last eight games of the season, I want to be the best in the league in terms of protecting the football. I mean, that's really what it is. And then just cut it loose, man. We got to score points. We got to score a lot more points than we have. We got to pick it up."
Smith added that this is the time of the season when the offense's ability to grow together should begin to be evident during games. He noted that he also wants to give the defense a lead to work with and allow them to hunt opposing offenses.
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While his comments may sound great, it is unrealistic to expect Smith to go from being second in the league in interceptions thrown over the first half to being the best quarterback at taking care of the football. It's ambitious, and fans appreciate the sentiment, but it doesn't seem likely.
Additionally, his claim that now is the time for the offense to show what they've been working on will not get the fan base on his side. They were a mess during the first eight contests, and there is simply not an "on" switch that the unit can flick to save things.
The unit had all of training camp to work together and grow. It should not take any franchise until the second half of the season, when the postseason is already out of reach, to have what they work on begin to show up in games.
Smith is likely playing for his future as a starting quarterback over the final stretch of the season. A late-season turnaround would certainly help his case, but based on what he has shown fans this season, it is unrealistic to expect that he will have the fewest turnovers over the final eight games.