The Las Vegas Raiders entered the 2025 NFL season with the hopes that Geno Smith would bring some much-needed stability to the quarterback position. At 35 years old, he was never going to be a long-term solution, but he can no longer be considered a short-term option, either.
Las Vegas figures to, once again, be in the market for a quarterback, with many fans hoping they use their first-round pick to address the position. A handful of promising prospects like Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson and Dante Moore are currently at the top of this year's draft board.
But all three players still have college eligibility remaining, and there is no guarantee the Raiders would be in a position to draft one of them anyway. Plus, the latest comments from minority owner Tom Brady suggest that the franchise could wait another year to land their quarterback of the future.
Tom Brady may have hinted at the Raiders' future QB plans
While many expected the Raiders to finally address the quarterback position in the 2026 NFL Draft, the class has gotten much less impressive as the season has progressed. Brady recently dropped a hint at the organization's plans, as he had high praise for Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr.
"CJ Carr looks like the best quarterback I have seen at the college level since Joe (Burrow) was at LSU," Brady said. "He knows the game, and he can make every throw necessary."
That is incredibly high praise for the young player, as Burrow and the LSU Tigers were one of the most dominant and iconic teams in the recent memory of college football. Burrow has had quite a bit of success in the NFL as well, so that bodes well for the young player.
Brady's opinion obviously looms large in Las Vegas, so his praise of the young player could be a massive hint about the future for the Silver and Black under center. Former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden also provided some thoughts about the young player.
"It's the film. When you watch it, you see a guy making every throw. They can really push the ball down the field," Gruden said. "I think I see more and more command at the line of scrimmage. This guy looks like a surefire No. 1 pick in the draft. Heisman Trophy candidate for the next couple of years."
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Carr also has a unique connection to Brady. His grandfather, Lloyd, recruited Brady to the Michigan Wolverines and was his head coach for all five of his collegiate seasons. Carr's father, Jason, also overlapped with Brady at Michigan for a year, as the two were teammates in the quarterback room.
While that shared history may have had a slight influence on the Raiders' minority owner's comments, the Fighting Irish quarterback has been torching defenses all season. Plus, Brady is not the only person who feels this way, but Carr still has a long way to go, as he is not draft eligible until 2027.
If Brady has as much influence in the organization as many believe, then it would not be a surprise to see the team pass on a quarterback this season to wait for a prospect that he believes will be a real game-changer.
Raiders fans may not be happy with that outcome, as it would likely mean that Geno Smith would be under center in Las Vegas once again in 2026. But sometimes waiting for a great thing can be much better than settling for a good thing. Even if it's another player named "Carr" at quarterback.