LAS VEGAS — The cleanup in Las Vegas is officially underway. The Raiders will release veteran quarterback Geno Smith before the 2026 league year opens on March 11, ending a disastrous one-year marriage. The front office isn’t waiting around. By making the cut now, Las Vegas instantly clears the path for the future and dodges a massive financial bullet.
The $18.5 Million Cleanup Job
General Manager John Spytek is ripping the band-aid off. Releasing the 35-year-old quarterback immediately saves the Raiders $8 million in salary cap space. More crucially, the move acts as a financial shield. If Smith remained on the roster past March 13, an automatic guarantee in his contract would have locked the team into paying him another $8 million.
Freedom isn’t completely free, though. Las Vegas will swallow a bitter pill of $18.5 million in dead money. The Raiders originally acquired Smith in March 2025 via trade from the Seattle Seahawks, tying him to a heavy contract extension to reunite him with head coach Pete Carroll. Carroll didn’t survive to see a second season, and now his hand-picked quarterback is out the door right behind him.
A Brutal 2025 Campaign
Smith’s lone season in the desert was a brutal watch. Playing behind a turnstile offensive line, he spent most of his Sundays peeling himself off the turf. The veteran barely survived the physical beating.
The numbers paint a grim picture. Smith finished the 2025 season with a league-worst 17 interceptions. He managed just 3,025 passing yards and 15 touchdowns across 15 starts. Defenders got home relentlessly, racking up 55 sacks on the veteran signal-caller. He tried to fight through the pressure, but the offense flatlined.
“It’s the hardest position to evaluate. Trying to have a vision for how they are going to fit into ours and how they’re going to handle the pressure that comes with being one of 32 in the world is a lot. It’s a constant work in progress.”
— John Spytek, Raiders General Manager
What’s Next: The No. 1 Pick Looms
All eyes now turn to the 2026 NFL Draft in late April. The Raiders hold the No. 1 overall pick and are heavily projected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza to lead the franchise’s rebuild. Mendoza brings the prototypical size and elite pocket precision the current regime craves.
However, the immediate quarterback room is empty. Kenny Pickett, who stepped in late last season when Smith went down with an injury, is an unrestricted free agent. Spytek hinted at the NFL Scouting Combine last month that the team doesn’t necessarily want to throw a rookie to the wolves in Week 1. With free agency negotiations opening on March 9, expect Las Vegas to aggressively target a steady veteran bridge quarterback to keep the seat warm for Mendoza.
