Geno Smith Reacts to Getting Released By Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t sugarcoat it. On March 6, 2026, they cut Geno Smith, one of the most resilient quarterbacks of his generation, after just one turbulent season in the desert. No long farewell. No press conference. Just a transaction wire and a roster spot cleared.

Smith’s response was three words on social media: “God is the greatest.” That’s Geno Smith for you. Always composed. Always finding faith when football gets ugly. But the cold reality is that Smith is 35 years old, unemployed, and wondering where he fits in a league that may have moved on from him.

Smith arrived in Las Vegas last offseason with genuine momentum. The Raiders traded a third-round pick to Seattle to get him, then handed him a two-year, $75 million extension. That’s a lot of money and a lot of trust for a quarterback entering his mid-30s.

He didn’t deliver. In 2025, Smith threw 19 touchdowns against 17 interceptions, numbers that scream mediocrity on a team that desperately needed stability. The Raiders finished the season limping, and by the time the final whistle blew, it was already clear the front office was eyeing a total rebuild at the position. Cutting Smith freed up $8 million in cap space, though the Raiders still absorb $18.5 million in dead cap charges. That’s the price of a gamble that didn’t pay off.

1. The No. 1 Pick Changes Everything

Here’s the bigger picture. The Raiders are calling the shots as they hold the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Virtually everyone in league circles expects them to use it on Fernando Mendoza, who is Indiana’s electric quarterback and this year’s Heisman Trophy winner. When you’ve got a franchise-altering pick coming, you don’t keep a 35-year-old quarterback around. You clear the decks. You build around the future. Smith was the bridge. Mendoza is the destination.

2. Smith’s Career Deserves More Than a Footnote

Before we write Geno Smith off entirely, let’s remember what this man pulled off. At West Virginia University, he was a record-shattering force with 33 records broken, including 4,385 passing yards and 42 touchdowns in a single season. When the New York Jets drafted him 39th overall in 2013, the football world had high expectations. Those expectations nearly crushed him. His Jets tenure was rocky. What followed was years of backup duty with the Giants and the Chargers, grinding it out on practice squads and sidelines, watching other quarterbacks play the games he knew he should be playing. Then 2022 happened. Smith took over in Seattle and shocked the entire league. Thirty touchdowns. A Pro Bowl nod. Comeback Player of the Year. It wasn’t just a good story, but it was one of the best quarterback redemption arcs the NFL had seen in years. He proved that patience and persistence aren’t just personal virtues. Sometimes, they’re the actual path to success.

3. What’s Next for Smith?

The honest answer is nobody knows yet. Teams with quarterback vacuums — your Jets, your Steelers, your perennial “we need a veteran presence” franchises — will certainly make calls. Smith, as a backup or mentor figure, isn’t a bad fit. He’s been around long enough to know what it takes, and younger quarterbacks could learn a lot from someone who clawed his way back from the football graveyard. But starting opportunities? Those look slim. The league is younger and faster now, and teams with draft capital aren’t looking backward. Smith may not be done. But he’s likely done as a starter. Las Vegas is in full rebuild mode. Cutting Smith is just one piece of a broader teardown. With Mendoza presumably walking through the door this spring, the Raiders are betting big on youth, upside, and a clean slate. Whether that gamble pays off better than the last one remains to be seen.

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