Last season, the Las Vegas Raiders had a horrible year, far from expectations entering 2025. The hiring of Pete Carroll was a sign that the team was trying to win fast, but trading for QB Geno Smith solidified that.
In the Smith trade, Las Vegas gave a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks, and looking back, it was the wrong move to make. Now, Smith’s time on the Raiders roster is done.
NFL World Reacts to Geno Smith Being Released by the Las Vegas Raiders
With the Raiders having the #1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and already seeing what a season with Smith on the roster can be like, moving on from the veteran was likely. Well, today, it was announced that the Raiders are set to move on from Smith, and here is how the NFL World reacted.
Cap specialists at Spotrac spoke on how this move works financially for the Raiders and how it frees up $8,000,000.
Their official X account posted, “The pending release of QB Geno Smith will leave behind $18.5M of fully guaranteed salary to the #Raiders, freeing up $8M of cap space. The guarantee is subject to offset language, and will be reduced by any amount Smith is able to earn elsewhere in 2026 (likely a $1.3M minimum).”
The pending release of QB Geno Smith will leave behind $18.5M of fully guaranteed salary to the #Raiders, freeing up $8M of cap space.
The guarantee is subject to offset language, and will be reduced by any amount Smith is able to earn elsewhere in 2026 (likely a $1.3M minimum).
— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 6, 2026
Jets insider Zack Rosenblatt reveals the team’s interest in Smith: “Geno Smith will be a free agent. The Jets will be involved.”
Geno Smith will be a free agent.
The Jets will be involved. https://t.co/C2UEymqlk6
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) March 6, 2026
Fellow Jets insider Rich Cimini also speaks on how this could be Smith’s second time with New York if a deal is done, “Geno 2.0? He’s available for the veteran minimum in 2026. Led the NFL last season with 17 INTs after a nice run in Seattle.”
Geno 2.0? He’s available for the veteran minimum in 2026. Led the NFL last season with 17 INTs after a nice run in Seattle. https://t.co/uDjy7as5z5
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 6, 2026
NFL insider Adam Schefter points out that this is the second time Klint Kubiak, the new HC of Las Vegas, has taken over an offense and fired Smith.
“This is the second straight offseason in which Klint Kubiak took a job with Geno Smith as the QB on the roster, and then Smith was moved. Last year, he was hired as Seahawks OC, and Smith was traded. This year, he was hired as Raiders HC, and Smith was released,” he wrote on X.
This is the second straight offseason in which Klint Kubiak took a job with Geno Smith as the QB on the roster, and then Smith was moved.
Last year, he was hired as Seahawks OC, and Smith was traded.
This year, he was hired as Raiders HC, and Smith was released. https://t.co/Grzmwaw2zz
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2026
NFL insider Ian Rapoport disclosed that the Raiders have been trying to shop Smith on the trade market in recent days, but with no suitors, the decision was to release him.
Rapoport posted on X, “The #Raiders, who have been aggressively shopping QB Geno Smith the past few days, are set to release him at the start of the league year, source says. No surprise, with the No. 1 pick coming in.”
The #Raiders, who have been aggressively shopping QB Geno Smith the past few days, are set to release him at the start of the league year, source says. No surprise, with the No. 1 pick coming in. pic.twitter.com/0VXLVOa4ne
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 6, 2026
Using the PFSN NFL QB Impact Metric, here is what Smith’s career grades look like:
Geno Smith’s career grades in PFSN’s QB Impact metric 🎯
Take control of free agency with our FREE NFL Ultimate GM Simulator: https://t.co/r7cv5QlDii pic.twitter.com/6OUcHJQKOO
— PFSN (@PFSN365) March 6, 2026
With Fernando Mendoza, the projected #1 pick and top QB in the draft, basically guaranteed to be on the Raiders, this move made too much sense for the team. Now, most of the mistakes from last season are off the roster, and Kubiak can begin rebuilding the rest of the roster.
