Geno Smith better not get too comfortable.
Tom Brady‘s fingerprints have been all over the Las Vegas Raiders’ offseason so far.
From the hiring of head coach Pete Carroll, to trading for quarterback Geno Smith and signing him to a two-year, $75 million extension, tying him to Las Vegas through the 2027 season.
That is of course if Brady and new general manager John Spytek want to keep Smith around that long.
While the years and numbers look great on paper for the former Seattle Seahawks QB, the Raiders could realistically move on from Smith as soon as next offseason if they wanted.
That’s because the new deal includes $58.5 million fully guaranteed at signing, over two-thirds of that coming in the first year.
While the 34-year-old is the immediate future at the quarterback position in Las Vegas, the long term future at the position is still a major question mark.
The Raiders own the sixth overall pick in the draft, and have been rumored to be eyeing a quarterback, most notably Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
Brady and Sanders have a close relationship going back years.
The Raiders are also bringing in Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, Texas QB Quinn Ewers, and Ohio State QB Will Howard for top 30 visits today.
It’s no secret that Brady and the Raiders are looking for a quarterback of the future.
Whether that is with the sixth pick, if they trade back, or select one in the later rounds remains to be seen.
The good news for Raider Nation is that Smith is more than capable of holding it down behind center for a season or two.
Especially under Carroll.
The two worked together in Seattle for five seasons, where they found success and were highly complimentary of one another when speaking to the Las Vegas media for the first time this week.
“I think there is unfinished business,” Smith said.
“And I think, when people think about my story, Coach Carroll was a big part of that. He gave me an opportunity when not many people would have.”
Carroll went on to talk about what he admired about Smith.
“I mean, not weeks, I’m talking for years playing behind Russell [Wilson], and he just never let up on that thought,” Carroll recalled.
“It was so impressive to me.
“As soon as we had the opportunity to put him in a position to take the lead, I couldn’t wait. And he’s been a winner ever since.”
Smith understands the situation he is in, and stated he is more than ready to prove himself once again.
“Not in a cocky or arrogant way, but I just feel that I’m one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL,” Smith said.
“I’m out to go out there and prove it.”
The quarterback even delved into his relationship with Brady.
“I went to his home and got a chance to just spend about an hour and just talk ball with him and just talk about life,” Smith said.
“… I want to learn as much as I can from him, the greatest quarterback to play the game. I mean, there’s so many things that you can learn.
“I think the main thing is that I’m here to win, and I’m here to do the right things for my teammates, just as he did.”
And if Smith wins for a franchise that has been desperately searching for a winner since the early 2000s, there’s a good chance Brady and company will put off finding his replacement anytime soon.
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