No one would argue that the Las Vegas Raiders needed to make a quarterback upgrade after this season.
But the way they went about it has now raised some concerns.
The Raiders traded with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire Geno Smith. Then they signed Smith to a contract extension.
It all looked safe enough. Smith had just completed 70.4% of his passes in 2024. He wasn't viewed as a top-tier QB, but felt like a solid starter.
So far, though, Smith has struggled more than would be ideal. And at 34 years old, he may not have forever to figure things out.
"The Smith experience hasn't gone as expected," writes ESPN's Ryan McFadden. "He threw three interceptions, with two resulting in points for Chicago. His first pick helped set up a field goal in the first quarter. Later, Smith was picked off by cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, leading to Bears quarterback Caleb Williams completing a touchdown pass to wide receiver Rome Odunze. Smith was given a chance to ice the game, but his throw to wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. was slightly underthrown, resulting in an incompletion and a field goal. Smith's turnover issues should be a cause for concern moving forward."
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The Raiders fell to 1-3 with the one-point loss.
Smith isn't a QB they acquired to win a few years from now. The goal is to win now.
The Raiders are in a tough division, with the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos all putting quality teams onto the field.
Smith is gonna have to figure it out in a hurry, or this season could go off the rails in Vegas.
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