Geno Smith Traded To Raiders To Reunite With Pete Carroll While Seahawks Look To Sam Darnold

Free agency is still days away but the NFL waits for no one, so the Las Vegas Raiders have acquired Geno Smith in a trade from the Seattle Seahawks, a source confirmed to OutKick Friday evening.

That's not all.

MINNEAPOLIS - Sam Darnold of the Minnesota Vikings leaves the field after beating the Green Bay Packers 27-25 at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 29, 2024. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images)

Sam Darnold Becomes Top Option In Seattle

The Seahawks aren't going to be sitting around hoping to find someone in the draft. Multiple sources are saying they will be major players in trying to sign looming free agent Sam Darnold when the official negotiating period begins on Monday.

The Seahawks also have one other quarterback they value as a backup plan should the Darnold chase not unfold successfully, but sources declined to name that player.

So, yeah, craziness!

Terms of the deal between the Raiders and Seahawks are simple: The Raiders get a third round pick. The trade cannot be consummated until the first day of the new league year on March 12. But this is happening.

And it will reunite Smith with Raiders coach Pete Carroll.

Pete Carroll. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

A Reunion For Geno Smith And Pete Carroll

Smith became the Seahawks starter in 2022 while Carroll was still the Seattle coach, and he had his finest career year, leading the NFL with a 69.8 completion percentage. He threw 30 TDs and 11 interceptions that year.

The interesting thing is the Seahawks last week were insisting Smith was in their plans and they were negotiating a contract extension with him at the time.

"We expect him to be our guy, but we want to do what's right, too,'' general manager John Schneider said.

Well, a funny thing happened en route to "he's our guy." The Seahawks didn't love Smith's asking price. And they believed they could do better at that price.

Smith didn't like what the Seahawks were offering and actually requested the trade this week.

So, Smith becomes the guy for the Raiders and part of the trade should eventually include giving Smith an extension. No, Smith isn't getting a new deal before the trade, but he has been told negotiations will ensue.

Raiders Have Been Chasing A QB

The Raiders, you should know, have been lacking good quarterback play but are replete with salary cap room. They have the most salary cap space of any other NFL team except the New England Patriots.

So this works for them and settles a long search for a QB in Las Vegas – something the team's best player, Maxx Crosby, is celebrating. 

The Raiders were part of Matthew Stafford chase that yielded nothing because Stafford opted to return to the Los Angeles Rams.

They have their presumptive starter for 2025 now. That doesn't mean they'll stop. The club is likely going to remain in the market for a younger quarterback in the upcoming draft, per sources.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, are obviously turning things over.

They'll have a new quarterback. They released longtime team leader Tyler Lockett on Wednesday. And the same day, we learned DK Metcalf was asking for a trade – one which the Seahawks are exploring.

So a lot of moving parts in Seattle.

And a lot of moving parts in the NFL quarterback carousel.