Jaylon Smith Agrees to Raiders Contract; Signed off of Saints' Practice Squad

Jaylon Smith is headed to the desert.

The Las Vegas Raiders are signing the veteran linebacker off the New Orleans Saints' practice squad, his agent announced Thursday. He hasn't appeared in a single game this season.

Smith signed with the Saints in August, but head coach Dennis Allen told reporters after the team's first preseason game that there was no guarantee he would make the team.

"I think with him, part of the equation is going to be where does he factor in on special teams? It's not something he's done a lot of," Allen said at the time. "I think he's going to embrace that challenge and hopefully he'll perform well on teams."

Smith was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2016 draft out of Notre Dame and he signed a five-year, $64 million extension with the franchise in 2019.

The 28-year-old went on to earn a Pro Bowl selection during the 2019 season after posting 2.5 sacks, one interception, nine pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 142 tackles, six tackles for loss and three quarterback hits in 16 games.

Smith remained with the Cowboys until he was released during the 2021 season after four games. He then signed with the Green Bay Packers and appeared in just two games before being cut.

Smith joined the New York Giants' practice squad to finish out the 2021 campaign and he was eventually promoted to the active roster. The Giants brought him back on the practice squad in 2022 and he ended up playing 13 games for the franchise, posting one sack, one fumble recovery, 88 tackles, three tackles for loss and two quarterback hits.

Now in Las Vegas, Smith joins a team that has made some major changes over the last week, firing general manager David Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels, in addition to benching quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Smith figures to be a depth option at linebacker in a unit that includes Robert Spillane, Curtis Bolton and Amari Burney.

The Raiders enter Sunday's matchup against the New York Giants third in the AFC West with a 3-5 record.