Geno Smith Staying Locked In as Raiders Future Remains Unclear
Geno Smith knows the noise is out there. The questions about his future in Las Vegas are growing louder by the week, especially with the Raiders stumbling through a tough season and the 2026 quarterback picture anything but settled. But if Smith is feeling the pressure, he’s not showing it.
Despite missing the Raiders’ most recent game - a shutout loss to the Eagles - Smith remains confident and focused. And while the box score from that game didn’t offer much encouragement, head coach Pete Carroll emphasized that the team showed fight. Now, the attention shifts to the final stretch of the season, and Smith is expected to be back under center if healthy.
The Raiders’ decision to roll with Smith for the rest of the year isn’t just about performance - it’s also about the financial commitment they made. At this point, with the season winding down and playoff hopes long gone, there’s little reason not to see what Smith can do with the remaining reps.
But beyond this season? That’s where things get murky.
Mock drafts have already started linking the Raiders to top college quarterbacks, including Oregon’s Dante Moore. That speculation comes with the territory when your offense has struggled and your record reflects it.
But Smith isn’t buying into any of that. When asked about his outlook, he kept it simple and optimistic: “I’m expecting to win a lot of games here,” he said.
That mindset - eyes forward, not back - has been a consistent theme for Smith. He’s not spending time dwelling on what’s already happened or what might come next. Instead, he’s focused on the work right in front of him.
“That’s what we’re pressing towards, and nothing happens in one day or one year,” Smith said. “We would have loved to win the Super Bowl this year, but that’s not our reality right now. The reality is we’ve got to get better, and we’ve got to focus on getting better day to day, and anything else outside of that really is nonsense.”
That’s the kind of perspective you want from a veteran quarterback - someone who’s been through the ups and downs and understands the grind. Smith isn’t sugarcoating the team’s record, but he’s also not letting it define him.
“There’s no assessment to be made,” he said. “I control what I can control, which is going out there and playing football.
If you start looking and thinking about things outside of your control, that’s when I think you lose it. You’ve got to stay focused, and that’s what I’m doing.”
The reality, though, is that Smith’s future with the Raiders could hinge on how he finishes this season. With just a few games left, this is his opportunity to make a statement - not just to Las Vegas, but to the rest of the league.
End the year strong, and maybe he locks down the starting job for 2026. Struggle, and the Raiders could be looking at a different direction entirely, whether that means a new face under center or Smith backing someone else up.
Las Vegas closes out the season with matchups against the Texans, Giants, and Chiefs. It’s a mixed bag - a playoff contender, a struggling squad, and a divisional powerhouse. There’s still time for Smith to put something meaningful on tape, to show that he can be the guy moving forward.
Right now, the Raiders aren’t thinking about next spring’s draft or the 2026 depth chart. They’re focused on finding a way to win - any way, any game.
And Geno Smith? He’s locked in on doing just that.