The Las Vegas Raiders have been a disaster in 2025. While there are plenty of disappointments around the building, the biggest has been quarterback Geno Smith.
The team traded a third-round pick for him and gave him a big contract extension. The Raiders were expected to be interested in quarterbacks in the draft, but thanks to the Smith addition, they held off on addressing the position until the sixth round to take Cam Miller, who is on the practice squad.
The quarterback many thought the Raiders would target was Shedeur Sanders. The former Colorado star has a relationship with minority owner Tom Brady, so Las Vegas seemed like a logical landing spot for him.
Sanders is set to make his first career NFL start against the Raiders in Week 12, so he’ll have a chance to prove that they made a mistake. Former Raiders offensive lineman Richie Incognito had some choice words for head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek for their decision-making at quarterback.
“Tom [Brady] did have a close connection with [Shedeur], and he is calling the shots. The Raiders are idiots, and they went with Geno Smith, so they have their starter,” Incognito said on “The Arena” podcast.
Sanders Can ‘Stick It’ to Raiders
The Raiders didn’t even need to use a high draft pick to add Sanders. They could’ve used a fourth-round pick to select him.
He heavily hinted that he wanted to play in Las Vegas, so he has to feel a little extra motivation to play against the Raiders. Incognito thinks this is a great chance for Sanders to prove to the team that they made a mistake.
“This is a great matchup [for Shedeur]. Stick it to Tom. Stick it to the Raiders. The Raiders team is just in shambles,” Incognito said. ”[Tom] has major input there. Mr. Davis is one, he’s 1A. He’s calling a lot of shots there. The close personal relationship [Tom] has with Shedeur, they could have saved him. He went in the fifth round. They obviously need some help at quarterback because our backup is Aidan O’Connell.
”Brady is calling the shots. I know so. Brady is running the show, and I know that Mr. Davis is running a lot of stuff by him; he has a close personal relationship with [John] Spytek that goes back to Michigan, they won a Super Bowl together in Tampa. I do think there is some credence to Tom passing on [Shedeur] several times. They could have spent a fourth. They could have spent a fifth.”
Will Raiders Regret Passing on Sanders?
The jury is still out on whether Sanders will be any good. He was 4-for-16 in his first NFL action in Week 11, but he didn’t have much of a chance to prep for that game. The game against the Raiders will be a better test.
Though Las Vegas may not end up regretting passing on Sanders, they have to feel some remorse for the Smith trade and not investing a higher pick on a quarterback. If Sanders ends up being a good starter, the Raiders will certainly have to feel some frustration with their decision-making.
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