Raiders set to release QB Geno Smith after 1 season in Las Vegas

[heavyD]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/708979 ... iders-nfl/

Should surprise nobody as he would be a horrible mentor for Mendoza. While Raiders fans should be eternally greatful that Geno was so terrible that the Raiders finally finished 32, this guy won't be missed. Raiders have had a lot of terrible QB's over the years but he's by far the least likeable of the lot. Whether he was on the sidelines looking dejected and mopy, or flipping the bird to fans, he came off extremely unlikeable and the fact is that he was one of the very worst QB's in 2025. Good riddance!

[pfish57]

TG that POS will be gone...you couldn't trade the Sloth for a used condom!!!!

[heavyD]

The Raiders wouldnt want anything of value. The value is less dead cap hit. Something like Geno+ our 7th round pick for a 7th round pick.

It's not about what other teams would be giving up of value and what they would get in return which is Geno's contract. There are teams that may want Geno on their roster as a backup but not at $27 million. Once he's released then teams will offer him $10 million or so to be a backup or challenge for the starting job if it's say a team like the Vikings and their incumbent QB isn't very good. You need to understand that no team will want to pay Geno Smith $27 million in 2026 as the reason he's not tradable.

[Cruisin with Tooz]

Dead money is not an issue. And the 8M cap space is worth getting his butt off the team

Dead money and cap space is always an issue. Even if you dont need to use it, you can carry it over to next year. And he will be off the team either way. I prefer he be off with 13 M extra cap space than 8 M extra cap space. Its worth it to find out if there is a taker. If not, then cut him before the other 8 million vests.

[chucker]

I would convert all but $5 million of his salary to a roster bonus and then release him after that. Then if he gets more than $5 million to play for another team the raiders would get $5 million in cash and cap as an offset. Otherwise he’ll definitely just end up signing a minimum deal and all they’ll get as an offset is about $1.2 million.

[Goodtimes333]

The Raiders now have 96-97 million in cap space. Now cut Cappa and have a smooth 100! There was a lot of truly awful picks thrown this year. Set the defense up for abject failure

[raiders72]

Good riddance and again “Thanks Pete”

Wilson next!

[Cruisin with Tooz]

It's not about what other teams would be giving up of value and what they would get in return which is Geno's contract. There are teams that may want Geno on their roster as a backup but not at $27 million. Once he's released then teams will offer him $10 million or so to be a backup or challenge for the starting job if it's say a team like the Vikings and their incumbent QB isn't very good. You need to understand that no team will want to pay Geno Smith $27 million in 2026 as the reason he's not tradable.

Its not 27 million. You dont understand the process. The Raiders would convert a portion of his salary (eg 13 million) into a bonus, then trade him. The Raiders take the cap hit for 13 million instead of the18.5 cap hit they would take by cutting him. The acquiring team takes the cap hit for the redone salary, 13.5 million.

[Attyla]

Dead money and cap space is always an issue. Even if you dont need to use it, you can carry it over to next year. And he will be off the team either way. I prefer he be off with 13 M extra cap space than 8 M extra cap space. Its worth it to find out if there is a taker. If not, then cut him before the other 8 million vests.

Not really, the dead money is very manageable, the cap space is worth kicking a guy who saw the writing on the wall after that last game out of Vegas

[Cruisin with Tooz]

I would convert all but $5 million of his salary to a roster bonus and then release him after that. Then if he gets more than $5 million to play for another team the raiders would get $5 million in cash and cap as an offset. Otherwise he’ll definitely just end up signing a minimum deal and all they’ll get as an offset is about $1.2 million.

Convert 13.5 of the guaranteed 18.5 before the remaining 8 vests? Yes. So they get the 8 million savings + another possible 5. But why not try and trade him for nothing before you cut him? That way you are definitely getting the extra 5.

[Cruisin with Tooz]

Not really, the dead money is very manageable, the cap space is worth kicking a guy who saw the writing on the wall after that last game out of Vegas

Reducing the dead money increases the cap space by that amount. Every dollar you reduce the dead cap hit by increases the cap space by 1 dollar. Youre basically saying you want that 8 million in cap space instead of 13 million in cap space.

[Coach dd 11]

While I'm no fan of Geno's, most must understand that our FO and staff absolutely f[raiders_icon]cked him from the get go. First, you don't trade for a player (giving up team value) and then pay them ahead of never EARNING anything for your franchise. Sorry but that is just plain f[raiders_icon]cking stupid and typical of why and how our team sucks at this type of stuff. If he didn't believe in himself or the challenge then we should have used the 3rd round pick and rolled with AOC. I'd bet anything we'd be in the same situation with more money and another player. Just f[raiders_icon]cking dumb!

[Goodtimes333]

Next year the 18 mil dead money is off the cap so it's alright. It's one season of taking the hit

[RunOverByHubbard]

I questioned the trade, giving up a third round choice, but when we beat New England in the first game of the year, I actually was saying we finally have a starting quarterback that’s decent. Whoops.

[raiderjohn]

Cant they restructure this years $26 million deal to make a trade palatable to some other team? Maybe a 13 million salary to bonus conversion would get our dead cap down to 13 and the acquiring team would only be on the hook for the other 13?

I think you talk trade first, and then the contract will then probably affect trade return. You don't want to commit to anything without a trade in place. Right now you trade him, it's 26M to the other team. You can always negotiate terms of the salary and return compensation with the other team. "We pay 13, you trade us a a conditional 6th" or whatever.

[raiderjohn]

I questioned the trade, giving up a third round choice, but when we beat New England in the first game of the year, I actually was saying we finally have a starting quarterback that’s decent. Whoops.

Old Uncle Petey had us fooled when he said we're competing in 2025. I manipulated my mind to think he would be better inside a dome.