The Las Vegas Raiders were unable to land their top head coach or quarterback candidate last offseason, as Ben Johnson opted to join the Chicago Bears, and Matthew Stafford remained with the Los Angeles Rams.
While both of their respective teams ended up winning at least one game in the 2026 postseason, the Raiders were forced to settle for a pair of former Seattle Seahawks, with Pete Carroll as head coach and Geno Smith as quarterback.
Of course, fans all know how much of a disaster that turned out to be, as Las Vegas finished the season with a 3-14 record, landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Carroll, who appeared out of his element, lasted just one year in the role, as he was fired the day after the season ended.
Meanwhile, Smith, who was acquired from the Seattle Seahawks for a third-round pick, was, arguably, the worst quarterback in the league. Despite missing two games, he led the entire NFL in interceptions thrown and sacks taken.
In all likelihood, he will be following Carroll out the door as the Raiders are expected to use the top pick to select Fernando Mendoza. While the move did not work out for Las Vegas, Seattle should send the Raiders' front office a thank-you card for their decision to acquire Smith.
Seahawks should be grateful that Raiders acquired Geno Smith
Smith had clearly been on the decline in 2024, taking a step in the wrong direction after back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons. The writing on the wall should have been that the Seahawks were willing to move on from him without a clear successor in line.
Instead, the Raiders made the move for Smith and gave him a two-year, $75 million contract extension in addition to the year remaining on his deal. Several days after the trade was agreed to, it was announced that Seattle would sign Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract.
Ultimately, Las Vegas' gamble on Smith wound up costing them more money than Darnold got in free agency, plus a third-round pick. While the Raiders' quarterback failed in his new home, the move worked out wonderfully for the Seahawks.
RELATED: Mike Macdonald's Klint Kubiak comments tell Raiders fans all they need to know
Darnold earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl honor, leading Seattle to a 14-3 record. The offense was elite, finishing third in scoring and eighth in total yards one year after finishing 18th and 14th in each category, respectively.
Once considered a bust, the third overall pick in a 2018 NFL Draft, which saw five quarterbacks, including two MVPs, go in the first round, will become the first from that group to play in a Super Bowl. Additionally, Darnold has been elite in the postseason, proving that the Seahawks made the right decision by moving on from Smith to acquire him.
Moving on from Carroll proved to be beneficial for the Seahawks. But Seattle should also be very grateful that it was able to find someone to take Smith off their hands. That will especially ring true if they can hoist the Lombardi Trophy.