In theory, the Las Vegas Raiders' acquisition of Geno Smith last offseason was a good idea, bringing a needed upgrade under center. In practice, though not all his fault, it was the opposite, as Smith was sacked a league-high 55 times and was among the worst quarterbacks by nearly every measure.
The worst-kept secret of the Raiders' offseason is Smith's looming departure. Cutting him wouldn't be ideal, with the dead money ($18.5 million) outweighing the cap savings ($8 million). But a trade also doesn't seem very likely based on how he played this season.
No team with any other quarterback options will realistically consider giving up anything of significance to get him. That said, there are some teams out there who may have Smith on their radar this offseason.
He finished top-5 in the league in passing yards and completion percentage in 2024, and in the right situation, he could rebound. The stench of struggling during a season with the Raiders doesn't have to follow him to his next team.
Raiders have been offered a new option to offload Geno Smith
Christopher Kline of FanSided has predicted 10 big-name NFL offseason trade candidates, with a team predicted to acquire each of them. Smith made the list, with the Atlanta Falcons as his predicted landing spot.
"Smith is still fairly affordable by quarterback standards as he enters the final year of his contract. Maybe the 35-year-old is out of gas, but he was such a dynamic weapon in Seattle in 2024. It's hard to get that version of Smith out of one's mind," Kline wrote. "He probably looks better on a real team. The Atlanta Falcons should probably spice it up and cut Kirk Cousins. Michael Penix is still recovering from an ACL injury. Smith can come in with a full complement of weapons and give Kevin Stefanski the closest thing he's seen to a real quarterback in quite some time."
The idea of Smith as the closest thing new Falcons' head coach Kevin Stefanski has had to a real quarterback in quite some time is hilarious. But it's also not wrong, based on Stefanski's last few seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
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With the weapons the Falcons have around the quarterback, like Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, if re-signed, and a good offensive line, Smith could thrive in Atlanta. They are certainly a far better potential landing spot than some others that have been put out there.
The Falcons have paved a path to let Kirk Cousins go this offseason. Assuming that happens, with Michael Penix's ACL recovery in play, they seem sure to be looking for a veteran quarterback who can foster a push to win the NFC South next season.
So the Raiders may end up with a viable option, which no one had thought of before, to offload Smith and get something for him. They won't recoup the third-round pick they sent to Seattle to get him, but even a Day 3 pick is better than nothing to fully wash their hands of an ill-advised move.
Plus, trading Smith would wipe his entire $26.5 million salary off the books. Las Vegas should find a way to pay some of that so that they can reach their cash spending floor and make Smith more appealing to suitors like Atlanta, and maybe get a better pick in return as a result.