Raiders spent third-round pick, $58.5 million for 15 games with Geno Smith

After quarterback Matthew Stafford decided in February 2025 to stay with the Rams, the Raiders needed a quarterback.

They didn’t want Sam Darnold. They traded instead for Geno Smith, reuniting him with one-and-done head coach Pete Carroll.

The Raiders gave up a third-round pick to get Smith. They paid him $40 million last year. They owe another $18.5 million this year. They’ll release him (if they can’t trade him) before another $8 million becomes fully guaranteed next Friday.

So here’s the final cost: A third-round pick, and $58.5 million (minus up to $18.5 million this year, based on what he earns elsewhere). In return, the Raiders got 15 games, two of them wins.

It’s not Smith’s fault. The Raiders didn’t have nearly enough great players. For some reason, they thought they’d be competitive last year.

The decision to move on from Smith doesn’t entirely guarantee they’ll pick Fernando Mendoza with the first overall selection in the draft. Obviously, however, the top of the depth chart will look very different in 2026.

Whatever the Raiders do, they’ll need to get it right this time around. Which will require doing a lot more than finding a quarterback.