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Ryan McFaddenMar 6, 2026, 11:17 AM ET
- Ryan McFadden covers the Las Vegas Raiders for ESPN’s NFL Nation. Prior to ESPN, McFadden was a Denver Broncos beat reporter for the Denver Post. McFadden also wrote about the Baltimore Ravens and University of Maryland athletics for The Baltimore Sun.
HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders are set to release quarterback Geno Smith, barring a trade, before the start of the new league year Wednesday, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday.
By releasing Smith, the Raiders will open up $8 million in salary cap space while taking on $18.5 million in dead money.
Smith signed a two-year, $75 million extension after being traded from the Seattle Seahawks for a 2025 third-round pick. Smith earned $40 million in 2025, all of which was fully guaranteed.
The dead salary cap hit of $18.5 million is significant, but the Raiders will avoid paying Smith an additional $8.5 million in guarantees by moving on from him before the third day of the 2026 league year.
Initially, the Raiders hoped that pairing Smith with coach Pete Carroll, whom he played under for six seasons with the Seahawks, would translate to immediate success. Their plan backfired.
In 15 starts, Smith threw for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions — a league high and the most he has thrown in a season since he threw 21 picks as a rookie for the New York Jets in 2013.
Smith threw nine picks in the first five games of the 2025 season. He was 27th in QBR (34.1) and missed two games due to injury.
Raiders general manager John Spytek said at the scouting combine that he didn’t want to blame Smith’s struggles all on the 35-year-old signal-caller. Spytek admitted that he could have put Smith in a better position to succeed.
Smith battled inconsistent pass protection. He was sacked 55 times and pressured 194 times. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was fired after Week 11, and tight end Brock Bowers battled a knee injury during the first half of the season.
Nonetheless, Smith’s inconsistency in the pocket factored into the Raiders putting together one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Las Vegas finished 3-14, and Carroll — the coach Smith credits for rejuvenating his career — was fired. The Raiders did secure the top pick in the 2026 NFL draft, which they are expected to use to select Smith’s replacement, Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
Still, Spytek is not a believer in playing a young quarterback right away. Las Vegas will most likely add another veteran quarterback who will compete with Mendoza and backup Aidan O’Connell.
