The Las Vegas Raiders have made some questionable bets on veteran quarterbacks over the last few years, but Geno Smith might be the worst of the bunch. While Jimmy Garoppolo was a disaster, the team didn’t have to trade anything to acquire him. Gardner Minshew was benched after nine starts, but the Raiders didn’t invest much financially in him.
In Smith’s case, however, the stakes are much higher. Las Vegas traded a third-round pick to get him and also handed him a hefty two-year contract extension. At this point, it’s looking more and more like this will be his lone season with the Raiders.
Smith’s performance this season has been underwhelming. He is 2-5 as a starter and is tied for the NFL lead with 10 interceptions. Statistically, he has been one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league, and he needs to turn things around soon. If not, the Raiders may have to consider benching him.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently named every team’s most disappointing player, and Smith was the obvious choice for Las Vegas. Gagnon wrote, “It’s obviously disappointing that Brock Bowers has yet to score in his sophomore season, but a knee injury is a factor there. Also, his expensive new quarterback has seven touchdown passes to a tied-for-league-high 10 interceptions. The experiment has failed.”
### Smith Ranked as 30th QB in NFL
Every NFL season sees plenty of poor quarterback play, but the problem with Smith is that he’s a veteran earning a significant salary—so his performance levels should be much higher than a rookie’s.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports ranked every NFL quarterback ahead of Week 8, placing Smith at 30th. Benjamin commented, “Speaking of turnovers, Smith barely had any chances to give the ball away in his latest outing, but that’s because Las Vegas couldn’t advance down the field. Pete Carroll wants to win now, but his old friend has thrown into traffic more than most.”
The only two QBs ranked lower than Smith were rookies Cam Ward and Dillon Gabriel. Even Tyrod Taylor, who has started only one game this season, was ranked higher. While some might argue it’s harsh to rank Smith this low, it does highlight how little confidence analysts currently have in his play.
### How Much Longer is Smith’s Leash?
Realistically, the Raiders aren’t expected to make the playoffs this season. They’ve already dug themselves into a hole and lack the talent needed for a late-season surge.
However, that doesn’t mean the team can continue to send Smith out on the field if he keeps underperforming. Head coach Pete Carroll’s mantra is “comPETE,” but it’s difficult to preach competitiveness when one of your key players is playing among the worst in the league—and yet continues to receive chances.
Carroll risks losing credibility in the locker room if he doesn’t hold Smith to the same standards as the rest of the team.
The simplest solution is for Smith to provide at least serviceable quarterback play. The Raiders don’t expect him to be Josh Allen; they just need him to throw more touchdowns than interceptions. Until that happens, Smith’s future in Las Vegas will remain uncertain.
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/geno-smith-dissapointing-bleacher-report/
