It was a one-and-done season for Geno Smith with the Las Vegas Raiders. Nonetheless, after a trade to the New York Jets this offseason, Smith will be looking to prove that he has gas left in his tank and that his poor play last season was due to the team situation rather than him.
As a result, it’s because Smith wants to show that he isn’t at the end of his NFL career that Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton has listed the former Raiders QB as one of the signal-callers who will be facing the most pressure this 2026 season.
“Smith had his best years with the Seahawks, earning a couple of Pro Bowl nods, but he wanted out of Seattle after the 2024 season,” Moton wrote in his May 2 article. “The Las Vegas Raiders traded for Smith, but his reunion with head coach Pete Carroll didn’t work out well.
“In 2025, Smith threw 17 interceptions, the most leaguewide, and only won two games as a starter. The Raiders fired Carroll and traded Smith to the Jets. At 34, Smith will once again try to revive his career as a starter—this time with the team that drafted him.
“Having gone through career trials and tribulations, Smith can turn things around for himself, but he’ll try to do it with a franchise that hasn’t had stability at quarterback for decades. If Smith has another down year, he’s unlikely to get another chance to be a full-time starter in the league.”
Geno Smith Gets Promising Outlook for 2026 Season
Last season with the Raiders, Smith finished with a 60.9 overall PFF grade, ranking 36th out of 43 qualified quarterbacks, and posted a 58.2 passing grade, also 36th at the position. Across 524 dropbacks, he threw for 3,025 yards with 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He added 14 big-time throws but was also charged with 23 turnover-worthy plays.
Despite the production with Las Vegas last season, ESPN NFL analyst Damien Woody believes that the veteran QB can bounce back and potentially be a Comeback Player of the Year candidate.
“[Smith] could [win his second Comeback Player of the Year award],” Woody said during an April 27 appearance on UNSPORTSMANLIKE. “Think about what Geno Smith was playing with with the Raiders. Probably the worst offensive line. He had no wide receivers. Brock Bowers was hurt half the season last year
“So now you look at what he has to work with here with Garrett Wilson, Omar Cooper Jr., Adonai Mitchell, Breece Hall, [Kenyon] Sadiq, the tight end out of Oregon, and a really good offensive line. Things could really pop off with Geno Smith in 2026. “
RG III Shares True Thoughts on Raiders QB Situation
Meanwhile, the Raiders should expect much better play from their QB position, and former NFL signal-caller, Robert Griffin III, believes that if No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza is starting from Week 1, the Silver and Black can be a sneaky good team.
During the April 28 edition of “The Herd,” Griffin shared his thoughts on the Raiders’ QB situation, stating that winning 10 games for Las Vegas is a possibility if Mendoza starts from Week 1.
“I don’t think the Raiders winning 10 games is out of the question, but I think they only win 10 games if Fernando Mendoza is the starter Day 1,” Griffin said. “The reason I say that is you talked about bringing in Tyler Linderbaum.
“That takes a little bit off the quarterback when it comes to diagnosing the defense, the run fronts, where’s the pressure coming from. Not that Fernando Mendoza can’t do that. We certainly know that Kirk Cousins has experience doing that…
“I think Fernando brings this team the identity that they need from the quarterback position, from a leadership standpoint. This guy’s willing to do anything it takes to help his team win games. He’s not there to pad stats; he’s not there to look good on the box score. He only wants to win.”
Jets QB Geno Smith Hit With Strong Statement After Raiders Exit