HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Raiders have been searching at quarterback since a messy divorce late in the 2022 season ended Derek Carr’s nine-year reign.
And even Carr’s tenure came up short of expectations with the team making the playoffs just twice.
Now the Raiders are counting on veteran Geno Smith to provide much-needed stability and add punch to an offense among the NFL’s worst last season. But, he isn’t expected to do it by himself in Las Vegas.
He has two potentially dynamic offensive weapons in tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty, as well as wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who comes off his first 1,000-yard season. All three are 28 and younger, and Smith is closing in on 35 as he enters his 12th season.
“In this league, every day you got to prove yourself, not only to your guys but to the rest of the league,” Smith said. “So for me, when you’re coming to a new team, you got to set the standard, set the example, and it’s through hard work. I wanted to make sure that my guys know that I was going to be here 100% of the time, going to put all the work in, going to maximize our resources and just really put our best foot forward.
“I’m not a big talker. I just want guys to kind of follow me through example, and I just try to push myself, push the guys and let the rest handle itself.”
It may be a new city and a new group of teammates for Smith, but there is a sense of familiarity as he goes back to work for coach Pete Carroll. His career was in limbo when Carroll signed him in 2019 to join Seattle.
He became the starter in 2022 and led the NFL that season by completing 69.8% of his passes while throwing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year, and the Seahawks had winning records in all three seasons with Smith at the controls.
Smith threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns with 15 interceptions last season, but he failed to reach an agreement to stay in Seattle. The Raiders acquired him in a March 7 trade in which they sent back a third-round draft pick.
The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback then signed a two-year, $75 million extension that takes him through the 2027 season. Smith said at his introductory news conference that he had “unfinished business,” given the way his time ended in Seattle.
“He’s such an all-in guy that there’s no question what his commitment is and his conviction, and so that just helps the message (get) embedded even more so,” Carroll said. “It’s why he’s so valuable to us.”
Smith is a major reason why the Raiders have genuine hope they can improve an offense that last season ranked 29th in scoring and 27th in yardage.
Having Bowers and Jeanty in the lineup are two other notable reasons for such optimism.
Bowers was second in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting last season to Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels. Bowers set an NFL rookie record with 112 catches for a first-year mark for a tight end with 1,194 yards receiving and was named to the AP All-Pro team.
“He’s one of the better tight ends in the NFL,” Smith said. “I can’t give him the ball enough. I feel bad every time I don’t throw him the ball. So I’m just trying to make sure that I’m maximizing his ability, his talent, because that’s going to help our team.”
Jeanty is expected to be the Raiders’ next Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate, and in fact is the favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Las Vegas took him sixth in this year’s draft after Jeanty led the nation with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns rushing to finish second in the Heisman Trophy voting.
“Ashton is a smooth running back out of the backfield,” Smith said. “We’ve seen what he can do against contact and breaking tackles. The thing that’s really impressing me is his ability to catch out of the backfield. He’s a real natural in that aspect.”
The NFL, in the end, is a quarterback-driven league, and the onus ultimately will be on Smith to make all the pieces work in Chip Kelly’s offense.
The Raiders have been searching for such a quarterback. Maybe Smith is the answer.
“Geno is a hell of a quarterback,” defensive end Maxx Crosby said. “He’s another guy that gets slept on for some reason, but Geno can play and he’s super competitive. Getting to see him and go against him every single day has been an awesome experience so far.”
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