After starting 11 games with the New York Giants in 2022 — and appearing in 13 — linebacker Jaylon Smith has not taken a regular season NFL snap. That could change soon, however, as Smith made the news on November 2 for signing with the Las Vegas Raiders.
His agent, Doug Hendrickson, announced the deal on X, writing: “Raider Nation @thejaylonsmith let’s get it! @Raiders #teamwass @NDFootball.”
And NFL insiders like Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo confirmed the Week 9 signing soon thereafter.
Smith registered 88 total tackles (four for a loss), two sacks and one fumble recovery with Big Blue over 17 appearances from 2021 through 2022.
He had spent the 2023 summer and fall within the New Orleans Saints organization, finding a role on their practice squad. Now he lands a new 53-man job as he’ll keep his career going with the Giants’ next opponent.
Giants Set to Face Off Against Raiders New HC Antonio Pierce in 1st NFL Game
Who knows, maybe the 28-year-old linebacker finds his way onto the field against his old team on November 5, but the guaranteed face-off against a former NYG player will come either way.
You might have heard by now that Antonio Pierce has been named as the new interim head coach of the Raiders. The ex-NFL linebacker strapped up the pads in the league for nine years, and he did it all with two organizations.
Those franchises were the Washington Commanders and Giants.
Pierce was more well-known with the G-Men, however, starting all 75 of his appearances in blue (including playoffs). Over that span, he accumulated 533 total tackles (34 for a loss), seven sacks, six forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, four interceptions, 34 pass defenses and a touchdown.
The new head coach also won a Super Bowl and served as a captain with the Giants. After his promotion, former NFL offensive lineman Damien Woody voiced the following on X.
“Man I’m excited for this opportunity for Antonio Pierce being the interim HC of the Raiders,” he stated. “Anyone who’s been around him knows he’s a leader of men going back to his playing days! I’ll definitely be rooting for him #RaiderNation.”
“The best teams I’ve ever been on – player ran.”
Antonio Pierce is relying on the leaders to take charge from here on out.
“Us against the world.” #RaiderNation #Raiders
“I’m relying on our leaders to lead,” Pierce said in his introductory press conference. “I’m going to come in here with the gameplan… but they gotta carry it throughout. The best teams that I’ve ever been on as a player or as a coach, player ran… bottom line.”
There’s no telling how the Raiders will look in their first game without Josh McDaniel as HC, but one thing’s for sure, this is a very different team with Pierce at the helm. It’ll be a test for the Giants.
Giants TE Darren Waller Ruled Out vs. Raiders in Week 9
The other Giants-Raiders news involving a former player surrounds tight end Darren Waller.
Waller did not practice on Wednesday, November 1, and hinted to reporters afterward that he’s probably going to miss Week 9 against his old team.
“The main reason I missed like eight games last year was because [I was] trying to come back in like two and reaggravating [my hamstring] like two or three times in practice where nobody could really see it,” Waller admitted to NYG media.
“Taking a little more of an approach and saying OK, like, why not if it’s four weeks, if it’s three weeks, whatever it is, use that time efficiently and not try to be a hero and come back,” he went on. “Because that’s really just me stressing and pushing, and it’s like, I gotta take care of my body first.”
That became official on November 2 as ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Waller has been ruled out for Week 9.
Giants’ TE Darren Waller will miss Sunday’s game vs. the Raiders due to his hamstring injury.
In the end, Smith and Pierce may match up with their old franchise on Sunday but that same fate just wasn’t in the cards for Waller. We should find out if a stint on the short-term injured reserve is necessary on either Friday or Saturday.
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Ex-Giants Linebacker Keeps NFL Career Going With Raiders: Report