New Raiders QB Geno Smith discussed the events that led to contract talks breaking down between him and the Seahawks, with Seattle ultimately trading him to the Raiders.
Smith told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that a conversation last summer with Seahawks GM John Schneider didn’t leave him feeling great about how the team saw him fitting into its future plans. Schneider was honest about how the team wanted to embrace its young core.
“Just based on that conversation, I kind of knew the direction the team was going,” Smith said.
Smith played out this past season under new HC Mike Macdonald, then met the team at the negotiating table heading into the final year of his deal this offseason. While Seattle’s offer ultimately ended up in the ballpark of the deal he later signed with the Raiders, the lack of guarantees past the first year and general lack of commitment wasn’t what Smith was looking for.
“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 added. “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.”
Breer says Smith’s camp didn’t counter Seattle’s contract offer as a result, and the Seahawks pivoted to exploring their trade options. Three teams expressed interest, including the Raiders, and given the presence of Smith’s former HC Pete Carroll in Las Vegas, they were the clear leaders in the clubhouse.
Smith was close with Carroll, who in turn was a huge advocate for the veteran passer. Smith told Breer he actually stayed in touch with Carroll all of last year and the coach continued to pour into Smith even though he had nothing material to gain at the time while he was out of coaching.
“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 also mentioned Raiders OC Chip Kelly recruited him way back in college when Kelly was at Oregon. Kelly called plays last year for Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith, Geno’s cousin.
“We never got the chance to be player-coach. But I’ve always wanted to explore that. We’ve always had a good rapport with one another,” Smith said.
Smith, 34, is a former second-round pick of the Jets back in 2013. He played out the final year of his four-year, $5.019 million contract before signing a one-year contract worth $2 million with the Giants in 2017.
Smith signed a one-year deal with the Chargers for the 2018 season before joining the Seahawks in 2019. He returned on one-year deals each of the following three seasons before being named the starter in 2022.
He signed a three-year extension with the Seahawks worth $105 million in March of 2023. He just finished the second year of his deal and made a base salary of $12.7 million fully guaranteed.
Smith was in the final year of his deal and set to make a $14.8 million base salary in 2025 when the Seahawks traded him to the Raiders for a third-round pick.
In 2024, Smith made 17 starts for the Seahawks and completed 70.4 percent of his passes for 4,320 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He also recorded 53 rushing attempts for 272 yards and two touchdowns.
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