The first major quarterback domino of the 2025 NFL offseason has fallen.
On Friday, the Seattle Seahawks agreed to trade two-time Pro Bowl passer Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a third-round draft pick, according to multiple reports.
The move puts another key figure in place for the Raiders at a significant spot after the team brought on coach Pete Carroll – who worked with Smith from 2020-23 – and general manager John Spytek earlier in the year. The Silver and Black were in on the bidding for Matthew Stafford before the veteran signal-caller opted to return to the Los Angeles Rams last week. Now, one year after essentially a historic run on passers atop the NFL draft left Las Vegas with only Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O’Connell as the team’s options behind center, the Raiders have some degree of stability in the short term.
For Seattle, the decision marks another major shift in coach Mike Macdonald’s offensive reimagining that has prompted more change than many expected.
Here are our grades for each team in the deal:
Raiders trade grade: A-
Owner Mark Davis had made it known as far back as last fall that he was intent on stabilizing the team’s outlook at quarterback. The problem: This year’s draft class seems to pale in comparison to last year’s group when it comes to signal-callers, and Las Vegas’ positioning at the No. 6 slot likely left the team out of range for Cam Ward of Miami (Fla.), widely considered the only surefire top-five selection at the position. Once Stafford was no longer in play, the Raiders were left to consider an underwhelming collection of free-agent options.
Until, that is, they struck a deal for perhaps the best possible solution – and one few might have seen as a realistic possibility.
Smith, 34, might not be a transformative figure for this offense, as the Raiders still have significant ground to make up in the AFC West after the division’s three other teams all made the playoffs. And despite completing a career-high 70.4% of his passes, he also tossed 15 interceptions. But the veteran signal-caller has proven himself capable of rising above subpar surroundings, as he engineered a stunning late-career resurgence despite the Seahawks’ longstanding protection issues (the team ranked 21st in ESPN’s pass-block win rate), particularly on the interior. He also had to compensate for a run game that disappeared entirely for stretches, with the team’s imbalance tilting them toward the fifth-highest passing rate of any team.
The Raiders had an extra third-round pick from the Davante Adams deal, so the team still should have its full arsenal of selections to help provide additional support for Smith – an effort that could ramp up in free agency next week, with the team boasting more than $80 million in cap space prior to the addition, according to Over The Cap.
Beyond record-setting rookie tight end Brock Bowers, Smith doesn’t have an abundance of support. More help up front is required, and the team seems due for a complete reworking of the league’s last-ranked run game. But with Smith now settling the franchise’s most pressing questions, the Raiders could use their top pick to land a premier talent at either of those slots – including perhaps Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
Smith only has one year remaining on his contract, but multiple reports indicate an extension is forthcoming. But so long as the team doesn’t have to make a sizable long-term commitment to a player who has been one of the league’s best bargains at a pricy position, the Silver and Black look to have significantly bolstered their short-term outlook while still leaving themselves plenty of flexibility down the road. Bonus points, too, for landing a player to whom Carroll will have no trouble acclimating.
Seahawks grade: C-
In firing offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb after one season, Macdonald indicated he wanted to change the identity of his attack. He and Schneider have now done exactly that in jettisoning their starter.
Upon his hire last year, Macdonald stirred intrigue around Smith’s standing with his initial noncommittal regarding the veteran’s standing. In February, the coach offered a much stronger public show of support.
‘Heck yeah, man. Geno’s our quarterback,’ Macdonald said. ‘I don’t understand the conversation. It’s pretty obvious this guy is a heck of a quarterback. He’s our quarterback. We love him. Can’t wait to go to work with him.’
One month later, the Seahawks chose to embrace a blank slate behind center rather than forge ahead with a known entity.
The Seahawks have already indicated that they will rely on a smashmouth running game to better align with Macdonald’s defensive-led vision, with Klint Kubiak taking over as the architect of the attack. Tyler Lockett, a mainstay at receiver, was cut, while fellow target DK Metcalf is seeking a trade.
For a team that went 10-7 and only lost out on a playoff spot due to a strength of victory tiebreaker, that’s a major shake-up. Yet more importantly, it’s hard to see this move paving a path for Seattle to improve – or even remain as competitive as the organization was under Smith.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported Sam Darnold, who played under Kubiak as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, could be a primary target for the Seahawks. But while Darnold showed he can be a highly effective part of a well-built offense in his career-redefining turn with the Minnesota Vikings, his late unraveling reinforced he can be undone by consistent pressure. That would be a major problem for a Seattle team that still has plenty of work to do up front, both schematically and with its personnel.
The financial factor was no doubt a pressing element, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting that the Seahawks and Smith were engaged in extension talks before the team opted to go in a different direction. The move will also clear Smith’s $31 million salary for 2025 off its books while only taking on a $13.5 million dead cap hit. But unless Seattle can somehow create an optimal setup for Darnold or a Day 2 quarterback, it seems like this team is bound to take a step back as it embraces this new offensive chapter.
This post appeared first on USA TODAY
#47′, referencing Cousins’ jersey number and Trump being the 47th president of the United States.
