By Saad Yousuf, Dianna Russini and Zack Rosenblatt
March 10, 2026
-The Athletic
The New York Jets have acquired quarterback Geno Smith in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to league sources; the teams will swap sixth and seventh round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Smith spent his first four NFL seasons with the Jets.
Smith is coming off of his lone season with the Raiders, in which he went 2-13 in 15 starts. Statistically, the 35-year-old had one of his worst seasons in the NFL. His 17 interceptions were the most he had in a season since his rookie year in 2013. His 3,025 passing yards was the second-lowest output he’s had in the NFL, behind only 2,525 yards in 13 starts in his second season. His QBR of 34.1 was the lowest in his career among seasons in which he started at least two games.
Smith’s performance played a role in the Raiders finishing with a 3-14 record, tied for the worst in the NFL. Las Vegas holds the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with which they’re widely expected to draft University of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Smith entered the NFL in 2013 as a second-round pick of the Jets. Following a preseason injury to incumbent starter Mark Sanchez, Smith began the season as the starting quarterback and went on to start all 16 games that season. The Jets went 8-8 and moved on from Sanchez, making Smith the permanent starter in New York.
Smith struggled in his second season, going 3-10 in his 13 starts. He only started one more game for the Jets over the next two seasons. From 2015 through 2021, Smith served as a backup around the league. He spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Jets, the 2017 season with the New York Giants, the 2018 season with the Los Angeles Chargers and joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2019.
After spending three years as the backup in Seattle, Smith became the starter in 2022 as the Seahawks moved on from Russell Wilson. Smith had a career year, passing for over 4,000 yards for the first time in his career, tossing a career-high 30 touchdowns while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. Smith led the Seahawks to a 9-8 record and a playoff berth in 2022.
After two more years as the starter, Smith was traded to the Raiders last offseason, where he was reunited with head coach Pete Carroll, who had overseen his NFL resurgence in Seattle. Carroll was fired in January after one season as the head coach in Las Vegas.
Overall, Smith has a 42-56 record as a starter in the NFL and has thrown 124 touchdowns to 89 interceptions.
March 10, 2026
-The Athletic
The New York Jets have acquired quarterback Geno Smith in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to league sources; the teams will swap sixth and seventh round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Smith spent his first four NFL seasons with the Jets.
Smith is coming off of his lone season with the Raiders, in which he went 2-13 in 15 starts. Statistically, the 35-year-old had one of his worst seasons in the NFL. His 17 interceptions were the most he had in a season since his rookie year in 2013. His 3,025 passing yards was the second-lowest output he’s had in the NFL, behind only 2,525 yards in 13 starts in his second season. His QBR of 34.1 was the lowest in his career among seasons in which he started at least two games.
Smith’s performance played a role in the Raiders finishing with a 3-14 record, tied for the worst in the NFL. Las Vegas holds the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with which they’re widely expected to draft University of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Smith entered the NFL in 2013 as a second-round pick of the Jets. Following a preseason injury to incumbent starter Mark Sanchez, Smith began the season as the starting quarterback and went on to start all 16 games that season. The Jets went 8-8 and moved on from Sanchez, making Smith the permanent starter in New York.
Smith struggled in his second season, going 3-10 in his 13 starts. He only started one more game for the Jets over the next two seasons. From 2015 through 2021, Smith served as a backup around the league. He spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Jets, the 2017 season with the New York Giants, the 2018 season with the Los Angeles Chargers and joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2019.
After spending three years as the backup in Seattle, Smith became the starter in 2022 as the Seahawks moved on from Russell Wilson. Smith had a career year, passing for over 4,000 yards for the first time in his career, tossing a career-high 30 touchdowns while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. Smith led the Seahawks to a 9-8 record and a playoff berth in 2022.
After two more years as the starter, Smith was traded to the Raiders last offseason, where he was reunited with head coach Pete Carroll, who had overseen his NFL resurgence in Seattle. Carroll was fired in January after one season as the head coach in Las Vegas.
Overall, Smith has a 42-56 record as a starter in the NFL and has thrown 124 touchdowns to 89 interceptions.
