The Geno Smith experiment in Las Vegas, at least for the 2025 season, is over. And let’s be honest, it probably feels like a mercy rule at this point.
The Raiders announced Friday that their veteran quarterback is officially out for Sunday’s season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs due to that high-ankle sprain he picked up against the Giants. You know, the game where the Raiders offense looked about as coordinated as a giraffe on roller skates? That one.
A Season To Forget
Smith finishes his 15-game run with 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. That turnover number is grim. It’s “hide your eyes” grim. This wasn’t exactly the resurgence Las Vegas was hoping for when they brought him in to reunite with Pete Carroll.
Instead of a playoff push, the Raiders are sitting at a league-worst 2-14. They aren’t just looking at the draft board; they are practically hugging the No. 1 overall pick. And with Smith sidelined, the reins for the finale fall to a rotation of Kenny Pickett and Aidan O’Connell. It is like choosing between a headache and a migraine, but Carroll says he wants to see both of them get some snaps.
Is This Goodbye?
The elephant in the room isn’t the ankle injury; it’s the future. Smith is under contract through 2027, but the writing might already be on the wall in permanent marker. Cutting him would mean eating an $18.5 million dead cap hit, but keeping him as a backup after he flipped off the home crowd earlier this year? That is a tough sell to a fan base that’s already out of patience.
With the Raiders staring down the barrel of a top draft pick, presumably for a rookie quarterback, it feels like Smith has thrown his last pass in Silver and Black. If this is the end, it’s a quiet, limping exit to a season that started with hope and ended in a total tailspin.
