The Seattle Seahawks have been taking some calculated risks over the last couple of years. The first was to trade Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, which turned out to be a stroke of genius.
Then they moved on from longtime head coach Pete Carroll in favor of Mike Macdonald, who has proven to be one of the best young coaches in the NFL. Last offseason, the Seahawks seemed keen on extending Geno Smith, but ended up trading him to the Las Vegas Raiders.
They signed Sam Darnold to replace him, which many saw as a downgrade at quarterback. One of the loudest critics of the Smith trade was ESPN’s Mina Kimes.
“Flat out: this is a terrible move by Seattle. Chances of upgrading are extremely low,” Kimes posted on X last year.
Smith ended up having a nightmare 3-14 season with the Raiders, leading the NFL with 17 interceptions. He’s likely heading toward getting released less than a year after signing a contract extension.
The Seahawks just beat the Los Angeles Rams to advance to the Super Bowl, so Seattle comes off incredibly well in hindsight. Needless to say, Kimes got dragged for her previous take on social media.
Why Didn’t Raiders Pursue Darnold?
Hindsight is 20/20, but the Raiders have to regret trading for Smith instead of trying to sign Darnold. The Seahawks actually signed the veteran quarterback for less than what the Raiders gave Smith.
Now, Las Vegas isn’t nearly as talented as Seattle, so Darnold may have had numbers that were similar to Sith’s this season. However, the Raiders would’ve paid less and not had to trade a third-round pick.
There were expectations around the NFL that Las Vegas would go after Darnold, but according to The Athletic’s Mike Silver, minority owner Tom Brady wasn’t a fan.
“The Seahawks’ pursuit of Darnold snuck up on many NFL observers and proceeded in rapid-fire fashion,” Silver wrote last year. “While some believed the Las Vegas Raiders would try to sign Darnold, minority owner Tom Brady — a seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback whose opinion held great sway — was not in favor of that approach, according to a source familiar with the franchise’s internal discussions.”
Raiders Might Be Better Off in the Long Run
It’s easy to forget that Smith was putting up good numbers and winning records when he was starting for the Seahawks. The Raiders haven’t been good in a long time, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that Smith struggled.
In the end, the biggest loser in all of this is Smith. Had the Raiders signed Darnold, he likely wouldn’t have a great season and would have been back to being the subject of scrutiny.
The Seahawks likely don’t get enough from Smith to get to the Super Bowl, and the Raiders might not have the No. 1 pick. In the end, every party is likely better off in the long run, with the exception of Smith. There’s no guarantee he’ll be a starter next season and could have to accept a role as a backup.
Mina Kimes Dragged for Old Geno Smith-Raiders Take After Seahawks Win