Raiders trading QB Geno Smith to Jets in late-round pick swap

Geno Smith is headed back to his first NFL home.

The Raiders are trading the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback to the New York Jets, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday, per sources. Las Vegas is sending a 2026 seventh-round pick with Smith in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round selection, moving up from No. 228 to No. 208 in the upcoming draft.

Pelissero added that the Raiders will be paying the bulk of Smith’s salary to facilitate the trade and the Jets will get the QB while paying a little over the league minimum.

“Complete full circle moment back to where it all began,” Smith, who was expected to be released, told Rapoport following news of the expected trade. “I’m excited to connect with my new teammates and coaches and everyone in the building as well as build a new relationship with the fan base and community.”

The deal cannot become official until the new league year begins on Wednesday.

With Las Vegas widely expected to select Indiana quarterback and 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick of the 2026 draft, the Raiders no longer had a need for Smith, a quarterback they’d handed a two-year, $75 million extension in April. That deal did not work out for either side, of course: Smith was under constant duress behind a sieve-like offensive line, taking a career-high and league-worst 55 sacks, and threw a league-high 17 interceptions in 15 games amid a dreadful 3-14 campaign for the Raiders under coach Pete Carroll.