Raiders' Pete Carroll Praises Geno Smith, Says QB Is 'The Leader We Needed'

Following the Las Vegas Raiders' 23-23 tie against the Seattle Seahawks in their preseason opener on Thursday night, head coach Pete Carroll showed his admiration for quarterback Geno Smith.

Speaking to Jason Reid of ESPN Andscape, Carroll said of Smith: "This opportunity for us to be together here, at this time in our careers, is really just great fortune for us. I know him as well as I’ve known a quarterback. And to bring him into this program, he's the guy we needed. He's the leader we needed."

Carroll was the head coach of the Seahawks from 2010 to 2023, and Smith played under Carroll during his final five seasons at the helm.

Smith started off as the backup to Russell Wilson, but after the Seahawks traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos, Smith was named Seattle's starter, and he remained in that role from 2022 to 2024.

In his two seasons as a starter under Carroll, Smith earned the first two Pro Bowl selections of his career, and he collectively went 17-15 and completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 7,906 yards, 50 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.

After the 2023 season, Carroll stepped down as head coach of the Seahawks and transitioned into a front office position. Smith remained Seattle's starting quarterback and went 10-7, but it wasn't enough to get the Seahawks into the playoffs.

During the offseason, Carroll was named the new head coach of the Raiders, and he helped orchestrate the acquisition of Smith in a trade, while Seattle signed Sam Darnold to be its new starting quarterback.

Smith was once viewed as a bust after struggling early in his career with the New York Jets, but after bouncing around between multiple teams in backup roles, he finally proved himself as a legitimate NFL starter.

He was even honored for his perseverance in 2022 when he was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

That type of tenacity clearly spoke to Carroll, and his comments suggest that it played a major role in him wanting to reunite with Smith in Vegas.

Quarterback play has been a major issue for the Raiders ever since Derek Carr's departure after the 2022 season, but the 34-year-old Smith may very well give them the stabilizing force they need.

That doesn't necessarily mean the Raiders will go from a 4-13 team last season to a playoff squad in 2025, but Smith may be the perfect fit in terms of helping young skill players like running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers develop.