The Las Vegas Raiders solved one quarterback issue this offseason when they traded for Geno Smith. Head coach Pete Carroll has a strong relationship with Smith from his days in Seattle, so John Spytek felt comfortable sending a third-round pick to the Seahawks for a new starter in Las Vegas.
However, it quickly became clear during the preseason that the Raiders would be in hot water if the nearly 35-year-old Smith went down or underperformed. Aidan O'Connell and sixth-round rookie Cam Miller were less than impressive in the team's three exhibition contests.
So, the Raiders needed to add a suitable backup, especially after news broke that O'Connell would be sidelined for 6-8 weeks with a broken throwing wrist. Fans have been clamoring for a new quarterback to enter the fold, and on Monday evening, one finally did.
Raiders trade for Kenny Pickett after Aidan O'Connell injury
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported that the Raiders were trading for quarterback Kenny Pickett. Las Vegas sent a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns to make the deal, so now Pickett is a Raider and will serve as Smith's immediate backup.
Pickett makes sense for the Raiders, as Carroll lamented that he wanted an experienced veteran. He will be entering his fourth NFL season and has 30 professional games under his belt, including 25 as a starter with a record of 15-10.
In those 30 appearances, Pickett has completed 62.4% of his passes for 4,765 yards, 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He has also run for 306 yards and five touchdowns in his career.
Originally a first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022, Pickett was traded to the Eagles before the 2024 season. There, he crossed paths with now-Raiders front office members Anthony Patch and Brandon Hunt, who were in Philadelphia at the time.
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Then, he was traded to the Browns this offseason in a deal that included Dorian Thompson-Robinson. After Cleveland drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the middle rounds of this year's draft and added veteran Joe Flacco, however, the writing was on the wall for Pickett.
Raider Nation may have quarrels about adding Pickett to the room and relying on him as a backup. But if he was good enough to be the next-man-up on the Super-Bowl-winning Eagles, then he should be good enough to hold things together in Las Vegas if things go sideways.
Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly should love adding a dual-threat like Pickett to the room, as O'Connell is anything but mobile. Now, Pickett will be tasked with learning the playbook quickly and establishing a rapport with his teammates before the season starts on September 7.
Pickett has more experience than players like Thompson-Robinson, Kyle Trask or Hendon Hooker, and he has a bit more upside still to tap into than players like Ryan Tannehill, or Snoop Huntley. Giving up a fifth-rounder for a player that, hopefully, never sees the field is not ideal, but it was necessary.