The Las Vegas Raiders made a fatal error last year, trading a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Geno Smith. At the time, it seemed like a great deal, but it blew up in the Raiders' face, as he was undoubtedly one of the worst quarterbacks in the league during the 2025 NFL season.
Whereas the Seahawks ended up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the season's end, Las Vegas ended up with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, where they will almost certainly select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Raider Nation has been waiting for the moment that Smith is no longer a member of the Silver and Black, either by trade or simple release, but fans were starting to get nervous that Klint Kubiak would want to keep him as a veteran bridge quarterback. But fear not, as Smith was just released.
Raiders officially release quarterback Geno Smith ahead of free agency
ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to report on Friday that Smith will officially be released by Las Vegas, barring a trade before the start of the league year. Now that the cat is out of the bag, however, it is unlikely a team will give the Raiders any draft capital for the veteran signal-caller.
All signs now point toward Las Vegas taking Mendoza, even if he doesn't start right away. The California Post's Vincent Bonsignore, after Smith's release, reaffirmed that the Raiders will bring in another veteran this offseason to mentor Mendoza. Luckily, that player won't be Smith.
Smith led the league in both interceptions and sacks taken during his lone season with the Silver and Black, but his worst moments didn't always show up on tape or in the box score. He made obscene gestures to Raiders fans and commonly missed open receivers on potentially game-changing plays.
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By releasing Smith, Las Vegas will open up $8 million in salary cap space. They will still have an $18.5 million dead cap hit as a result of the extension that they gave Smith last offseason, but now the Raiders will be equipped with over $100 million to spend on the open market.
Currently, the Raiders only have one quarterback on the roster who is under contract next season: Aidan O'Connell. Smith will be released, Kenny Pickett is a free agent, and Cam Miller was poached by the Miami Dolphins at the end of last season.
Although Smith was dealt a tough hand with a horrible offensive line, he shouldered a good portion of the blame for how things went down in Las Vegas last season. Smith will be looking to land on his feet, and the Raiders will be looking to get rid of the stink that he left in the building.
Mendoza, a veteran, and O'Connell. Let's rock, Raider Nation.