As it turns out, the Seattle Seahawks really didn't want quarterback Geno Smith after all. The team traded the QB, according to FOX Sports analyst Jordan Schultz, to the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday. The move was shocking after general manager John Schneider had spoken openly about trying to sign Smith to an extension a week ago and after wide receiver DK Metcalf had requested a trade this week.
Maybe Metcalf knew something about the situation. According to Dianna Russini of the Athletic, the wide receiver wanted to be moved because he felt uncertain about the Seahawks' future quarterback situation. This was confusing at the time, but maybe Metcalf somehow knew that Seattle was thinking of trading Smith.
What appears clear is that Seattle is now committing to a rebuild, so any hopes of making the playoffs next season appear to be done. Seattle will have a new quarterback, possibly two new key receivers, as well as a remaking of the offensive line. The defense might be fine. The offense is likely not to be, even with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Winners and losers from Seattle Seahawks trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders
Winner - Quarterback Geno Smith
Smith reportedly requested to be traded from the Seahawks after extension negotiations broke down in the middle of this week. The quarterback might have wanted more than $40 million a season, and Seattle was unlikely to want to pay that. Check that. Seattle did not want to pay that, so giving up Smith made more sense. Still, now Seattle has to start over at QB1.
And let's not kid ourselves into thinking that backup Sam Howell is a winner here. The team has already been linked to being aggressively pursuing Sam Darnold after the Smith trade. Howell is likely to be a backup next season, too.
Loser - Seahawks general manager John Schneider
When Pete Carroll was basically running the Seahawks (Schneider was the general manager when Carroll was the head coach in Seattle but Carroll was also the Vice President of Football Operations and had final say over all roster moves), players did not seemingly want to jump ship as they do now. Both Smith and Metcalf requested trades this week. That was extremely rare under Carroll.
The issue for Schneider is now that he has released Tyler Lockett, traded Smith, and potentially traded Metcalf, he is going to have to get the roster right again quickly. The team was just a win away from the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. If they fall far off that pace in 2025, it is only going to make Schneider look terrible.
Winner - Former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll
If Carroll wants to be on a revenge tour against the Seahawks, he is achieving his goal. He was hired quickly after not being employed for only a month or so (he worked as an advisor for Seattle in 2024), and now he is quickly remaking his new team in the image of his former team. He has Geno Smith, and the Raiders could easily sign Tyler Lockett in free agency and maybe still trade for DK Metcalf.
Loser - Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Poor JSN. Not only has he lost the quarterback who threw the receiver the ball enough to earn Smith-Njigba 100 catches (a franchise-tying mark) in 2024, but he could lose both of his most impactful receiver mates in Lockett and Metcalf, too. Smith-Njigba is a very good receiver, sure, but opponents are now going to be able to key on him further, and that could diminish his productivity.
This is especially true as the new quarterback will not have a history of working with Smith-Njigba, and it could take half a season to get things right.
Winner - Seahawks running backs
Well, what else is Seattle going to do? Smith is gone, and so is Lockett. Metcalf could be, too. Klint Kubiak likes to run the ball more than former Seahawks offensive coordinators Ryan Grubb or Shane Waldron did. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet might need to be the keys to the offense being good. They are at least likely to get the ball a lot more beginning next season.
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