It was a terrible 2025 NFL season for Geno Smith in his lone campaign with the Las Vegas Raiders. Nonetheless, the veteran quarterback is hoping that a return to the New York Jets will allow him to put that awful campaign behind him.
During his time with the Raiders, Smith recorded 557 pass snaps, leading to a 60.9 overall PFF grade (PFF passing grade of 58.2). Moreover, the veteran threw for 3,025 yards and 19 touchdowns against 17 interceptions while registering 14 big-time throws and 23 turnover-worthy plays.
Nonetheless, John Breech of CBS Sports isn’t buying that Smith can perform better and believes the former Silver and Black QB will replicate the lone season in Las Vegas with the Jets.
“I feel like the Jets have put a lot of their eggs in the Geno Smith basket,” Breech said in a July 28 appearance on “CBS Sports HQ.” “I’m not sure that is such a great idea. We know that Geno Smith is capable of playing good football because we saw him do that in Seattle a few years ago.
“But we also know he’s capable of playing some bad football because that’s what happened in Las Vegas last season. I think the Jets’ roster this year is closer to what the Raiders had last year than what Geno was playing with in Seattle.”
Why Geno Smith Could Struggle With the Jets
Moreover, Breech noted why he believes Smith is in line to replicate his disastrous Raiders season, but this time in the Big Apple.
“If Smith doesn’t have superstars everywhere, I think that’s kind of a recipe for him to struggle,“ Breech added. “So I don’t have super high expectations for Geno Smith this year. We’ll see if he can be better protected and maybe have better weapons, but the protection is what’s going to matter.”
Smith might have some weapons on a young Jets team, but the veteran will also have to make better decisions. Last season, Smith was careless with the football, leading to his high interception and turnover-worthy play totals. If he cuts that down, maybe he avoids replicating his Raiders season.
Nonetheless, if the interceptions and bad decision-making rear their head in the first few weeks of the 2026 season, it could be a long campaign for Smith. Moreover, Jets fans will have to go through what Raiders fans did last season, seeing Smith play for the majority of the games.
Geno Smith on Having Something to Prove After Terrible Raiders Stint
In May, a New York reporter asked Smith whether he had something to prove after a tough season in Las Vegas, as the former Raiders QB didn’t throw anyone under the bus for what went wrong with the Silver and Black.
“I mean, there’s always going to be something to prove, whether you win a Super Bowl, make a Pro Bowl, or are an All-Pro,“ Smith told reporters. “It’s a year-to-year league, so there’s always going to be something to prove, and that’s internal.
“I don’t have anything to prove to anyone outside. It’s really about proving to myself and the guys inside this locker room that we can be the team we want to be.”
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