The Las Vegas Raiders shocked the NFL world by acquiring Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The move reunites Smith with new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll while leaving Seattle searching for a new quarterback.
While both teams had their reasons for the trade, one NFL analyst didn’t hold back in criticizing the Seahawks’ decision.
Mina Kimes Blasts Seahawks for Smith Trade
Mina Kimes, a regular on ESPN’s “NFL Live,” is a known supporter of Seattle sports. She wasted no time sharing her thoughts on the trade and was critical of the Seahawks’ decision.
“Flat out: this is a terrible move by Seattle,” said Kimes, “Chances of upgrading are extremely low.”
Flat out: this is a terrible move by Seattle. Chances of upgrading are extremely low. https://t.co/0I5mI8jZMP
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes)
After a rough start to his career with the New York Jets, Smith appeared destined to be a backup quarterback. He had stints with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers before landing in Seattle.
Initially backing up Russell Wilson, Smith earned the starting job in 2022 and has held the role ever since. Over five seasons, he led the Seahawks to a 28-24 record as their starter.
Seattle narrowly missed the 2024 playoffs, which Kimes attributed to “quality of opponent.”
“Nothing about this makes sense,” she added.
10-7 last year and missed the playoffs bc of quality of opponent. Nothing about this makes sense. https://t.co/UfFK6b8HjJ
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes)
With Smith turning 35 shortly after the 2025 season begins, Seattle appears to be seeking a younger quarterback. While ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky speculated that the Seahawks might be “going full rebuild,” others have pointed to another veteran quarterback who also started his career with the Jets.
Seahawks Linked to Sam Darnold
After moving on from Smith, “the Seattle Seahawks are now targeting Sam Darnold,” according to Dianna Russini, a senior insider for The Athletic.
Trade!
The Las Vegas Raiders have traded with the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Geno Smith, per sources.The Seattle Seahawks are now targeting Sam Darnold.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini)
Like Smith, Darnold didn’t live up to expectations as the Jets’ franchise quarterback. However, after bouncing around the league, he had a breakout season in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings.
Darnold earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2024, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also added 212 rushing yards and a touchdown, leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record and a Wild Card berth.
At 28 years old entering the 2025 season, Darnold brings youth compared to Smith, but Seattle still has concerns.
“People really don’t understand how bad the pass protection has been in Seattle over the last three years, and how much Geno Smith did to mitigate it,” Kimes said.
Some context for this….
Of every full time starter (min 1000 att) over the last 3 years, Geno faced a quick pressure rate–meaning, pressure in less than 2.5 seconds–of 18.1%.
That's the highest rate in the NFL, per @NextGenStats data.
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes)
According to Next Gen Stats, Smith faced the highest rate of quick pressure in the NFL but still led Seattle to a winning record in each of his three seasons as the starter.
If Darnold is Seattle’s next quarterback, he will likely deal with more pressure than he did in Minnesota while adjusting to a new system and different skill-position players.
Me when the Seahawks sign Sam Darnold after I defended him on here for years pic.twitter.com/k9NxMlSSAF
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes)
The Seahawks will be one of the most closely watched teams this offseason as they search for a quarterback and field trade calls for star wide receiver DK Metcalf. The future remains uncertain, but one thing is clear — Seattle will look very different in 2025.
