By the end of Geno Smith's time with the Seattle Seahawks, things had gotten complicated. One of the few teams that would have likely given him multiple chances to keep playing also gave him his likely final chance to become a starter again. For three seasons in Seattle, Smith was a good, but not great, quarterback.
He also had a fantastic relationship with former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. Carroll was let go after the 2023 season, however, and Smith started over with new head coach Mike Macdonald. 2024 was Smith's worst as a starter, but the fault was not Macdonald's but partly former offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's scheme.
And to a large extent, Smith's. He led the league in red-zone interceptions, and for much of the season, his touchdown-to-turnover ratio was nearly equal. By the end of the season, Smith knew he wanted out.
Former Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith talks being traded to the Raiders
The quarterback requested a trade. He had a no-trade clause in his contract, but he basically waived that by his request. He could not determine where he was traded to, but could say yes or no.
But the obvious truth is that Smith wanted out, and a big reason was that he and the Seahawks could not agree on a contract extension. Smith wanted the guaranteed money Seattle seemingly wasn't willing to give him.
Within a couple of days of his trade request, he was dealt to the Las Vegas Raiders, the new home of Pete Carroll. Smith did not yet have his money, but was happy to be rejoining his former coach.
To hear Smith explain the situation, though, one would think that he controlled the whole scenario of the trade. It is almost as if the situation would have been the same had he been a free agent.
In a recent press conference after a Raiders organized team activity (OTA), Smith was asked why he came to the Raiders. The quarterback responded by saying, "Everything about it... Coach Carroll, Las Vegas, the Raiders, the silver and black - this is a historic franchise. One of the most historic franchises in all of sports... to say I can wear this helmet and this logo is special to me."
There are a couple of seemingly misleading parts to that. One is that Smith did not have the final say over where he was traded. He wanted out of Seattle. Had general manager John Schneider found another suitor, he could have traded Smith there.
To opine that he came to Las Vegas because he wanted this or that smacks of arrogance. He wanted to be traded, but Carroll's experience of working with Smith made it easier for the deal to get done. Schneider could have shipped Smith to the New Orleans Saints, for instance.
The second part is that the real issue with Smith and the Seahawks was money. The quarterback and his agents tuned Seattle out after the team's last contract offer, sealing the fate of Smith in Seattle. He wanted to get paid, and whichever team acquired him was probably going to make Smith an offer he couldn't refuse.
Smith is probably very happy to be a Raider and work with Carroll, but the Raiders giving him an extension after he was acquired probably makes Smith even happier.