The Las Vegas Raiders appear destined to move on from quarterback Geno Smith over the offseason.
Could benched Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa be a potential replacement for Smith in Sin City? Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report seems to think so, as he recently listed the Raiders as one of the best potential offseason landing spots for the former Pro Bowler.
Raiders listed as potential landing spot for Tua Tagovailoa
In a hypothetical trade proposed by the publication, the Raiders would acquire Tagovailoa and a second-round pick in 2027 in exchange for a sixth-round pick in that same draft.
Such a deal would allow the Dolphins to move on from Tagovailoa while the Raiders would get additional draft compensation for taking on Tua’s deal, which includes a potential out after the 2026 season.
Plus, Tagovailoa would probably be an upgrade over Smith in Vegas for next season. Obviously things aren’t working out in Miami, but Tagovailoa is still just 27 years old and just two seasons removed from a Pro Bowl appearance and leading the league in passing yards.
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So there could still be some upside there. If the Raiders aren’t in love with any of the quarterbacks in the ’26 draft class, they could potentially opt to roll with Tua for a year and see how much he has left in the tank.
“The Raiders are also one of the few QB-needy teams that could take on Tagovailoa's deal,” Davenport wrote. “… This would mirror the Brock Osweiler-style move of taking on a bad contract for draft compensation. Vegas has needs that go well beyond quarterback and can use all the picks it can get. It has the cap space and could dump Tagovailoa in 2027 after a year as a bridge starter.”
Keep in mind, this is all completely hypothetical at this point. We don’t even know that the Dolphins are definitively going to look to move Tagovailoa over the offseason. Although it seems like they probably should, they could potentially try to give him one more season to get back on track.
Plus, who knows what the Raiders will look to do? It seems likely that they’ll move on from Smith, but beyond that, their plans are a question mark, and that goes beyond just the quarterback position. As a result, they'll definitely be a team to watch over the offseason.