Geno Smith Thinks Raiders Are Set At QB: 'I'm One Of the Better Quarterbacks In The NFL'

When head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek were hired by the Las Vegas Raiders they promised each other they'd explore every avenue to find a quarterback – a good one, hopefully, because the Raiders have had some rough quarterback experiences in recent years.

Well, Geno Smith believes the search has landed on a good one. 

Himself. 

HENDERSON, NEVADA - APRIL 07: Quarterback Geno Smith is introduced at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on April 07, 2025 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Smith Must Prove He's Among Better QBs

"Not in a cocky or arrogant way, I just feel I'm one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL," Smith said Monday during his introductory press conference. "I'm out to go out there and prove it. Prove it to my teammates everyday. I want to prove it to the organization every day. And when the product goes out there on Sunday, I want to make sure that I'm one of the best."

The Raiders obviously agree because they gave Smith a two-year, $72 million contract after trading for him last month.

And Carroll, who gave Smith a chance to win the starting job in Seattle after Russell Wilson was dealt to Denver in 2022, has apparently seen something in Smith for some time.

So the work continues.

"There is unfinished business," Smith said. "When people think about my story, coach Carroll is a big part of that. He gave me an opportunity when not many people would have. And he saw the hard work I was putting in. He saw the things behind the scenes that I do that allow me to get this opportunity. 

"To be able to play for him and be a part of this organization, it means everything to myself and my family. I was just telling him, I'd run through a wall for him. And he knows that. And I'd do the same for my teammates and this organization. I want that to be kind of who I am, and I want that to be the statement of who I am as the quarterback of this team."

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 27: Geno Smith #7 and head coach Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks celebrate a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field on November 27, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

So, yes, the confidence between Carroll and Smith goes back years. 

"I don't want to sound arrogant, but I knew the opportunity would come if I just continued to work hard and continued to believe. Right before coach called me and said, ‘Hey, we want to give you the opportunity to start, you have to go compete for it,’ I was already saying I'm going to take someone's job somewhere."

Smith has thrown 71 TD passes in his last three years as the starter in Seattle but 30 of those came his first year as a starter. The last two years haven't been quite as productive.

So even Smith admits he has things to improve on and learn at age 34. And what better resource to help than Raiders minority owner Tom Brady, whom Smith has talked to and met with since the trade.

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Smith Dishes On Brady Meeting

"I got a chance to facetime with Tom once I was traded," Smith said. "It's Tom Brady. It's a guy I've idolized and looked up to, and he does things the right way and that's something I wanted to take from him, just watching his game from afar. 

"Then I got to meet him, I got a chance to talk to him. Went to his home. Spent about an hour and just talk ball and just talk life. And you understand why he is who he is. Immediately. He takes everything extremely serious. He's a diligent worker and he believes in hard work. 

"And I think we align in that way and I want to be a sponge. I want to soak up as much knowledge as I can from him. 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 you can learn. And I think the main thing is I'm here to win and do the right things for my teammates, just like he did."

There is no entitlement to Smith. He was a draft bust with the Jets and seemed headed to an NFL career as a backup before he earned Seattle's starting job.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 23: Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders celebrates after stopping a third down play in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at Allegiant Stadium on October 23, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)

Smith Wants To Play To The Maxx

So he knows what it means to, as he puts it, "Fight, scratch and claw" for everything he accomplished.

"That will never leave me," he said.

And Smith, in that regard, is a lot like Raiders defensive star Maxx Crosby – who has been the face of the franchise for some time.

Smith loves the fact Crosby plays hard on every play, regardless of the team's record (which is often bad) or the score in the game.

"It's something that is rare in this league," Smith said of Crosby's approach. "And when you look at a guy that's a leader on defense, if he can do it, then everyone else can try and do that. 

"And everyone else can try to be like Maxx. And I want to try and do the same thing. I want to be like Maxx. I want to play hard the entire game and leave it all out there on the field."