The Las Vegas Raiders added to their quarterback room by trading a 2025 third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for Geno Smith on Friday night.
The trade reunites Smith with former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who is now in charge of the Raiders amid an offseason regime change. The quarterback position has hampered the Raiders in recent seasons. But what does the position look like in Vegas after the trade?
Here’s a look at what the depth chart would probably look like if the season started today.
Starting quarterback: Geno Smith
Smith is the obvious choice to start, particularly after the rebuilding team decided to unload draft capital to acquire him. A former second-round pick, many had written Smith off as a “bust” after he didn’t stick with the New York Jets and had to become a backup with other teams.
However, he re-established himself in Seattle — throwing for at least 3,600 yards and at least 20 touchdowns in each of the last three seasons following Russell Wilson’s trade to Denver. Smith spent five seasons with the Seahawks, and Carroll was his coach for the first four.
His addition can help Carroll establish a foundation similar to what he built in Seattle as a veteran who knows what the head coach values and wants to see from his players. At 34 years old, Smith is likely just a placeholder and possible mentor for whoever Vegas decides to hand the reins to next.
This coming season is his final year of a three-year deal signed in 2023, so he will be a free agent next March.
Second string: Aidan O’Connell
The previous regime liked O’Connell and gave him opportunities to claim the starting job. It’s clear he hasn’t done that. He’s been a bit turnover-prone, although that might not have been all on him with how uncompetitive the roster around him has been.
While reclaiming the starting job is an uphill battle, the backup role is pretty ideal for O’Connell, whether it’s in Las Vegas or elsewhere. For now, we’ll assume it’s with the Raiders, but they do have plenty of draft picks they could use to add someone the new leadership likes more.
Still, being a backup quarterback with NFL game experience is an advantage O’Connell will have in any potential competition. But Las Vegas also has the third-most cap space in the league and may opt to add another veteran to the room. Although, they did move on from both Gardner Minshew and Desmond Ridder already this offseason.
Third String: Carter Bradley/Rookie/Free Agent
If the Raiders plan to have three quarterbacks on the roster, the final spot goes to Bradley by default as of today. The South Alabama product signed as an undrafted free agent prior to last season and is the only other quarterback remaining on the Las Vegas roster.
Bradley has yet to throw a pass in the NFL, so it seems clear they would want to pursue other options and at least bring in one more signal-caller for training camp and other offseason activities.