NFL Exec Says Raiders Should Go 'Year to Year' With Geno Smith Amid Contract Rumors

Geno Smith's contract was a quick focal point after the Las Vegas Raiders acquired him from the Seattle Seahawks via trade this offseason, and one NFL executive believes the AFC West team should be patient with the quarterback.

"They can franchise him twice, so why would they lock themselves into him unnecessarily?" the executive said in a Wednesday piece by Mike Sando of The Athletic. "Tom Brady is not going to rip it up and give him $45 million a year. They should go year to year."

The 2025 campaign is the final one on Smith's current contract, but that doesn't mean there has to be significant urgency from the Raiders' perspective to ink him to a long-term deal. As the executive said, the franchise tag remains an option as the front office evaluates the position as a whole.

But key members of the Raiders suggested the team is potentially building toward a longer deal.

"We're working on it," head coach Pete Carroll told reporters Monday. "Yeah, we're working on it. [Smith's] excited to get going, get started. He'll be here when we get rolling. But we are working on it."

General manager John Spytek said, "we look forward to having him not just this year, but for years to come."

There was a time in Smith's career when he was best known as someone who didn't live up to expectations as a 2013 second-round draft pick for the New York Jets. He then bounced around to the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers before joining the Seahawks as a backup.

Yet he turned his career around when given a starting opportunity in Seattle and was a back-to-back Pro Bowler in 2022 and 2023. While interceptions were a concern last year (15), he also threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns on the way to a 10-7 record as a starter.

Seeing how Smith is 34 years old and had a poor track record prior to the last three years with the Seahawks, there is something to be said about not immediately committing to a long-term deal before he even takes the field for the Raiders.

That could mean his price tag goes up in the future if he continues to play at a high level, but it would also give Las Vegas a bit more protection if there is inconsistency.