Raiders' Geno Smith to Play vs. Seahawks in NFL Preseason Game After Offseason Trade

Geno Smith's first game with the Las Vegas Raiders will be in Thursday's preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks.

Head coach Pete Carroll told reporters on Tuesday that all of his starters will get snaps against the Seahawks.

"Everybody’s alive," Carroll said about using his starting group this week. "Everybody’s ready to go."

During his tenure as head coach of the Seahawks, Carroll would often play his starters early in the preseason to ensure they were close to peak game shape when the regular season began.

Russell Wilson played in three preseason games in 2018 and two in 2019 with the Seahawks, for example.

Combining that with the fact that Carroll is in his first season with the Raiders and still getting acclimated to the talent on the roster, his decision to get his starting unit on the field makes sense.

This offseason saw the Raiders undergo significant changes, not just with the hiring of Carroll and the acquisition of Smith in a trade with the Seahawks. There are 63 new players currently on the roster between trades, free agency and the draft.

Smith will get a chance to work behind the Raiders' offensive line. The unit is improving with solid starters like Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham, DJ Glaze and Jackson Powers-Johnson.

Given that this is the first preseason game, it wouldn't be a surprise if the starters are only in for a series or two. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has already said his starters will not play on Thursday night.

Expectations are fairly high for the Raiders thanks to the hiring of Carroll and the addition of Smith. They spent five seasons together with the Seahawks from 2019 to '23, with Smith becoming Seattle's starter in 2022 after Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos.

Smith had the best season of his career in 2022 when he threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns to help the Seahawks make the playoffs.

Carroll has only had four losing seasons in 18 years as an NFL head coach. The Raiders, who finished 4-13 last season, have had just two winning seasons since 2003.