The Geno Smith–Raiders marriage appears to be ending after just one season, and that is the headline Seahawks fans woke up to on March 6. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Las Vegas is releasing Smith, barring a trade before the start of the new league year, while Dianna Russini also reported the veteran quarterback is expected to hit the open market.
For Seattle, the news matters because Smith was one of the biggest storylines of the franchise’s 2025 offseason. The Seahawks moved him to Las Vegas last March for a third-round pick, officially ending a three-year run as their starter and clearing the way for the club’s next plan at quarterback.
UPDATE, 12 p.m. ET: Smith posted an emotional reaction to the news shortly after.
Key Points
- Geno Smith is reportedly headed for release unless the Raiders can find a trade partner before the new league year.
- Las Vegas would create $8 million in cap space while absorbing $18.5 million in dead money.
- Seattle already got a 2025 third-round pick back in the trade, so the Seahawks’ side of the move is complete.
Las Vegas acquired Smith in an offseason trade with Seattle last year. Now, the 35-year-old finds himself on the open market after just one year as a Raider.
Seahawks News: Geno Smith and Raiders to Part Ways
The immediate answer is simple: Smith’s run with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas looks to be over almost as quickly as it started. Schefter reported the Raiders are planning to release him unless a trade materializes first, which means Smith could soon be available to the rest of the league as a veteran stopgap or bridge starter.
From a Seahawks perspective, this is less about a reunion and more about retrospective context. Seattle made the call in March 2025 to trade Smith after he had started for the team from 2022 through 2024. The Seahawks got draft compensation and moved on before Smith’s Raiders tenure became a cap problem for Las Vegas.
Geno Smith Contract
The contract angle is a big part of why this is notable. Spotrac lists Smith’s Raiders extension at two years and $75 million, with $66.5 million guaranteed, and shows a 2026 cap hit of $26.5 million with $18.5 million in dead money if released. ESPN’s report says Las Vegas would save $8 million against the cap by making the move.
That is the kind of mechanic Seahawks fans should notice. Seattle avoided carrying that 2026 commitment by dealing Smith when it did. Even if Smith lands elsewhere quickly, the Raiders are the team left absorbing the dead-money hit attached to this decision.
That also helps explain the “barring a trade” language. If Las Vegas can find a taker before the new league year, it could potentially reshape the cap fallout instead of simply cutting him outright. That timeline is why this is a today story, not just offseason chatter.
Geno Smith Trade
Smith was acquired by the Raiders from Seattle on March 13, 2025, in exchange for a third-round pick, No. 92 overall, according to the Raiders and Seahawks’ official announcements. The move reunited him with Carroll and closed the book on Smith’s Seahawks tenure.
At the time, the deal made sense for both teams. Las Vegas got a proven veteran. Seattle got draft capital and a clean exit point from a quarterback entering the later stage of his career. One year later, the Raiders appear ready to pivot again.
For Seahawks fans, that trade now looks even cleaner in hindsight because the club already collected the asset and does not share in the Raiders’ cap consequences.
Geno Smith Stats, Age, Seahawks
Smith is 35 years old, turns 36 on October 10, and entered the NFL as the No. 39 overall pick in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of West Virginia. During his three seasons as Seattle’s starter, Smith revived his career and put up some of the best numbers of his tenure, throwing for 12,226 yards, 71 touchdowns and 35 interceptions from 2022 through 2024 while completing better than 68% of his passes. He broke out in 2022 with 4,282 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, won AP Comeback Player of the Year honors, then followed with 3,624 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2023 and 4,320 yards with 21 touchdowns in 2024. That stretch made his Seahawks chapter the defining run of his recent career and a big reason Seattle fans still pay close attention to every turn in his story.
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