Just weeks after acquiring quarterback Geno Smith in a trade with Seattle, the Las Vegas Raiders have doubled down on their new signal-caller, signing him to a two-year extension worth up to $85.5 million.
With $66.5 million guaranteed, the deal keeps Smith in silver and black through the 2027 season, an aggressive move that signals the team’s commitment to contending now, not later.
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Raiders have a shot with Geno Smith
The decision to go all-in on Smith followed the January hiring of Pete Carroll as head coach.
The Raiders were searching for both leadership and stability under center, and Carroll’s history with Smith in Seattle made the 34-year-old an attractive fit.
Now, with the longtime Seahawks coach and his former quarterback reunited, some believe the Raiders may have quietly transformed themselves into a serious playoff threat.
Super Bowl champion James Jones is among them.
“Yes, I said playoffs this year,” the former Packers wideout declared during a recent episode of The Facility.
“Geno Smith is a very, very accurate quarterback. He’s a quarterback that can take you to the playoffs-because he has.”
Smith’s track record supports the claim.
He led Seattle to the postseason in 2022 and followed that up with another efficient campaign in 2023.
His success came in a system tailored to his strengths, an approach Carroll helped design.
That’s why Jones believes the formula could work again in Las Vegas.
“Pete Carroll went to the playoffs with Geno Smith,”Jones said.
“He knows how to build a really good roster. And now, the Raiders have done just that.”
The roster, indeed, is taking shape.
Speedy running back Raheem Mostert joins the backfield, while tight ends Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers could provide a dynamic 1-2 punch.
If the Raiders can land college standout Ashton Jeanty in the draft, they’ll add even more firepower to an evolving offense that already features wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
“When you talk about Jacoby Meyers, when you talk about Brock Bowers, when you talk about adding a guy like Ashton Jeanty… I think the Raiders can make the playoffs with Geno Smith,” Jones added.
Though questions remain about the team’s long-term quarterback strategy, particularly if Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is available at No. 6 in the draft, Smith’s extension doesn’t block that possibility.
In fact, it could provide a bridge for a rookie to develop under a proven veteran.
For now, the Raiders are Geno’s team. And if everything clicks under Carroll, Las Vegas may be done rebuilding and ready to win.
