As became inevitable as a 3-14 season went on, Pete Carroll was one-and-done as Las Vegas Raiders' head coach. And with that, any player with close ties to him will not be back next season.
Atop the list of those players with Carroll ties is quarterback Geno Smith. If his lackluster performance this season isn't enough to cut ties, the vibe he projected toward Raider Nation at times should seal the deal for his departure.
During his season-ending press conference, Raiders general manager John Spytek tiptoed around what seems like the inevitable offseason decision with Smith.
"Geno's under contract for next year. We did that because, when we traded for him, we liked him. I'm not going to get too far into the future right now. I'm day-by-day, but he's one of the guys that's under contract. He's a quarterback. He played some good football this year, and we'll make those decisions going forward."
Spytek reference to Smith playing "some good football this year" could be interpreted as a loose call for trade offers, as in "he played some good football this year, please take him off my hands."
Maybe there's a team out there who is so desperate for a veteran quarterback that they'd actually give up something to acquire Smith.
Raiders insider offers a sad sentiment about Geno Smith's looming departure
On a recent episode of the "Vegas Nation First and 10" podcast, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal talked about Smith's future.
"Asking John Spytek about Geno Smith, and… I think he said he’s under contract and he’s a quarterback. Those are two facts. He wasn’t lying about that part of it. [Geno] is under contract for next year, and he does play quarterback…”
Bonsignore then offered a thought that lands sadly.
“The way he played this year… I think Geno Smith wants out himself, maybe a clean slate if he even wants to continue to play football again. But I think Geno Smith has played his last game for the Raiders.”
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Barring a shocking reversal in sentiment, it's a foregone conclusion Smith will never play for the Raiders again. Carroll, the driving force of the move to trade for him last offseason, is gone. While others were on-board with the move, Smith had no stronger an advocate than Carroll.
The funnier part, if it wasn't kind of sad, is Bonsignore's thought that Smith wants out of Las Vegas.
Wanting out is understandable, as he sees the proverbial writing on the wall. But if Smith asks to be traded or released before the Raiders officially make their move to part ways, it would have a "I'm going to break up with you before you break up with me" vibe.
Then again, Smith's agent making sure it gets out there he has asked to be traded or cut would somehow be a totally appropriate pre-cursor to his Raiders' tenure ending.