The Las Vegas Raiders have lost three games in a row since a win over the New England Patriots in Week 1. They were competitive in two of those losses, but three interceptions thrown by Geno Smith in each of them proved to be decisive.
Smith is not shying away from taking accountability for his shortcomings, but the Raiders are being pushed toward an uncomfortable spot with their quarterback situation. He was never a long-term solution under center, but that future is now coming to the forefront in a less-than-ideal way already.
Late in the Week 4 loss to the Chicago Bears, fans noticed on the CBS broadcast that head coach Pete Carroll was talking to No. 2 quarterback Kenny Pickett before the final drive of the game. Pickett had his helmet on and frankly looked ready to enter the game if he had been called upon.
After the game, Carroll said he did not consider putting Pickett in at any point during the contest. But if Smith doesn't start to perform better soon, and losses continue to pile up, the light whispers about when a quarterback change might be warranted will get louder.
CBS analyst pushes Raiders' QB conversation to a point it will hopefully never reach
In light of a couple of teams already making a change at quarterback this season, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports took a look at some other teams that could do the same at some point in 2025. The Raiders' Geno Smith, of course, landed on the list, which no quarterback wants to be on.
"Pete Carroll's whole deal as the new coach was to establish a win-now operation, and Smith was acquired to lead the charge, bringing veteran gravitas to the quarterback spot. Unfortunately, his worst tendencies as a risk-taker have contributed to the Raiders' slow start; he leads the NFL with seven picks in four games," Benjamin wrote. "Pickett, meanwhile, may be best known for bouncing between clubs as a trade chip, but he's still just 27, only a couple years removed from serving as a full-timer with the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Raiders offense keeps having issues with ball security, isn't it possible Carroll will want to see what he has in the younger Pickett before opting for a total reboot of the position next offseason?"
Pickett would not have been a first-round pick in a lot of years, but he was in a thin 2022 draft class. The Steelers found out that he's not a starting-caliber player the hard way, and he has been traded twice since. The Raiders could be a good situation for him, but he would likely show more of the same.
RELATED: Raiders may already need to have unavoidable Geno Smith conversation
The most important layer to any conversation about benching Smith is his relationship with Carroll. When Carroll thought Smith could be made available by the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, he sold the rest of the Raiders' organization on making a trade. Smith subsequently made it clear that he wanted to reunite with his former head coach. Carroll will exercise patience until he can't anymore.
The problems the Raiders have had offensively through four games certainly go beyond Smith. But as the quarterback, he's the one who will be blamed first. And when he's been a clear detriment to winning in two games already, the heat turns up in some corners.
Carroll, as Benjamin suggested, is trying to establish a "win-now operation" in Las Vegas, and benching Smith for Pickett would be the opposite of that. It would be a concession that this is a lost season, and trading for Smith was a mistake.
There may be a point where that uncomfortable conversation is viable, but still, just four games in, the Raiders are a long way from it.