The Las Vegas Raiders are hoping that the third time is the charm when it comes to replacing quarterback Derek Carr. They tried with Jimmy Garoppolo, but that was a failure.
They tried again with Gardner Minshew, but he was cut after a season. This offseason, they traded for Geno Smith, and the hope is that he can at least steady the ship for a few years.
Though Carr is the same age as Smith, he decided to retire this offseason due to a shoulder injury that would’ve required surgery. Now that he’s retired, he can speak freely about any team or player. While things didn’t end smoothly with the Raiders, he still has a lot of love for the franchise.
He offered some serious praise for Smith ahead of the 2025 season.
“I think running the football, hopefully, will alleviate some pressure for Geno, and Geno can go out there and do what he does and be accurate,” Carr told Shannon Kelly of Nevada Sports Net. “He’s a crazy accurate passer. I’ve always been a great big fan of his, always had a good relationship with him, so I’m rooting for Geno. I hope he breaks all my records, hope he has the greatest career and time with the Raiders, because that’s what you want. You want to leave a legacy, and then you hope somebody else can come in and try to break it.”
Will Smith Finally Be the Answer for Raiders?
At the very least, Smith will be an upgrade over Garoppolo, Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. The concern with him is that he’s already 34.
While more quarterbacks are playing at a high level into their late 30s, it’s still rare for that to be the case. The one advantage that Smith has is that he didn’t play many games for several years, so his body hasn’t had to go through the types of beatings that other quarterbacks have.
That said, the Raiders will likely start looking for a successor as early as next year’s NFL Draft unless Smith has a huge season. Smith can at least give the Raiders similar quarterback play to Carr over the next two to three seasons, but eventually, they’ll want to find an additional upgrade who is younger.
Raiders Named Winner of Smith Trade
Trading for Smith was a logical move for the Raiders. The asking price wasn’t great, and he has a great relationship with head coach Pete Carroll.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report revisited the trade and gave the Raiders an “A” grade for pulling off the deal.
“Metcalf wasn’t the only notable player Seattle agreed to move ahead of free agency. It also dealt quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2025 third-round pick,” Knox wrote.
“The deal was a big win for Las Vegas and, specifically, new head coach Pete Carroll. Smith will turn 35 in October, but he’s a Pro Bowl-caliber signal-caller at his best. By reuniting him with Carroll, the team should have a chance to open a playoff window within the next couple of seasons.”
Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at “The Shop.” More about Austin Boyd