Geno Smith explains Seahawks exit, says 'stars are aligning' with Raiders, Pete Carroll
Geno Smith is set to suit up for the Las Vegas Raiders and it seems there is no place he'd rather be.
Following an offseason trade from the Seattle Seahawks, the well-traveled quarterback made the trek from Emerald City to Sin City, exchanging his blue-and-green threads for some silver-and-black instead.
It wasn't always supposed to go this way, but Smith was able to see the writing on the wall after his three-year run as a starter came to an end with the Seahawks.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, Smith spoke on how his time with Seattle came to an end and how the stars aligned with him ending up in Vegas.
Smith mentioned the presence of a new coach, Mike Macdonald, and Seattle's commitment to their youth movement as almost seeing the writing on the wall.
“Just based on that conversation, I kind of knew the direction the team was going,” Smith told Breer.
So when the Seahawks made Smith a contract offer that didn't fully guarantee money in future years, the quarterback and team disconnect returned to the forefront. Smith's representatives didn't bother to counter, eventually setting the trade in motion.
As he gets set to enter his 12th season in the league, the quarterback now has the chance to reunite with Pete Carroll, who was hired as the Raiders' new coach earlier this offseason. Smith isn't bitter about how things ended in Seattle but did mention the importance of respect when it comes to a contract offer.
“Obviously, they have young guys in the building that they want to step up and be leaders, and they got a new head coach last year,” Smith said. “And Mike was good for us, and I really enjoyed being with him for that season. But again, man, when you’re talking about business, and you’re talking about a quarterback who wants not only to get paid –every player wants to get paid – but to be respected, that’s the most important thing. It’s the respect factor."
“And I just felt like there was a disconnect there," he added.
Smith told Breer about his relationship with Carroll, who he spoke with throughout the 2024 season. The Seahawks moved on from the coach following the 2023 season, charting a new path forward for the team.
The quarterback said that Carroll was there when he needed him most, saying he called him in times of frustration.
“I would call him whenever I got frustrated,” Smith said. “He talked me through things, and he still coached me. And I think that’s what makes him such a special man, is that he was coaching me even when he wasn’t my head coach. A lot of the things that he was telling me, a lot of conversations we had really kept me steady throughout the season, and kept my head on straight. Because, again, man, this is a team that I gave everything I had to …”
Smith's agent, Chafie Fields, said the Raiders and two other teams were interested in him. The Seahawks wanted to do right by their now-former quarterback and Vegas was the destination he wanted.
“I just thought the opportunity in Vegas, man, it was just too, too, too great to pass up,” he said.
Smith now has the opportunity to reunite with Carroll while forging new working relationships with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and part-owner Tom Brady.
Kelly recruited Smith during the coach's time in Oregon. Brady was a competitor against Smith when the quarterback began his career with the New York Jets. Now they're all on the same team.
“I think if you believe in fate, you believe in things like that, then it’s like the stars are all aligning, right?” Smith said. “It’s all the things that you would want. I could see Pete, but all the guys that he would want to be a part of it? We’re here, we’re doing this thing together. And I was sick, man, when [Carroll] left Seattle – I was sick. And I didn’t see this coming. I think it’s going to be great for both of us.”
Smith was rewarded with a new extension last week, inking a two-year deal worth $75 million, with $18.5 million guaranteed for 2026. It was a gesture that showed the Smith experiment wouldn't be just one season, as the team has invested in a future with the 34-year-old.
“As far as the contract, I’m very grateful, very thankful, very appreciative," Smith said. "But my main focus is go out there and win games, set the tone and be a better version than anyone’s ever seen of me.”
The quarterback believes the pieces are in place, especially as he works with Carroll to install a new culture with the Raiders. More importantly, he also seems to believe the right people are in place.
With some security and peace of mind, Smith can now worry about on-field results.
It's no secret that the house always wins in Vegas. Now, Smith and the Raiders will work to extend that to the football field.
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