Geno Smith has been a disaster at quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders this season. Yes, the offensive line, special teams and inconsistent defense deserve their cut of the blame as well, but Smith has been among the worst quarterbacks in the NFL.
While whispers from the fan base about him being benched have transitioned into a full-blown yell at this point, head coach Pete Carroll seemingly has no intention of sidelining him. Even though the franchise traded a fifth-rounder for Kenny Pickett, Carroll clearly has no faith in the team's backup.
If Smith's struggles continue, however, Carroll cannot keep him under center in good conscience. He'll need to supplant Smith in the starting lineup eventually if the turnovers persist, and fortunately, the Raiders have an ace in the hole if Carroll won't entrust Pickett.
Aidan O'Connell could return soon from injury and supplant Geno Smith
Aidan O'Connell was set to enter the 2025 NFL season as the backup to Smith in Las Vegas. While most of the fan base had seen enough from him last season, and he had a rough go during this preseason, it somehow feels like he could be the best option on the roster at this point.
Pickett only came to the Raiders after O'Connell broke his wrist in the preseason finale and was placed on the Injured Reserve. But based on the timeline for his injury, he should be returning to practice sometime between now and the end of October.
The Raiders are roughly 10 days away from their bye week, and that is typically when teams make a major change like this. If O'Connell returns on time and gets thrown into the lineup, he certainly wouldn't wow Raider Nation or lead the team to many wins. But if he could just limit turnovers, it would be a net positive for the Silver and Black.
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Carroll and the staff were extremely high on O'Connell during the offseason and training camp, so perhaps they would be more inclined to give him an opportunity than Pickett or rookie sixth-rounder Cam Miller.
Obviously, the team is not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, and even if their losing streak extends, they won't be for quite some time. While O'Connell could, theoretically, be better than Smith, inserting him into the starting lineup would be like throwing in the towel on the season.
But the writing is already on the wall for this campaign, and the team may be better suited to start a youth movement and see what they have for next year. In the meantime, Carroll needs to send a message to the team by benching Smith if his struggles continue and prove that nobody's job is safe.