This has been a nightmare season for Geno Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders. He was traded to the team this offseason in hopes that he’d finally bring some stability to the quarterback position.
Instead, he’s been having the worst season he’s had since he was a young player. Smith finally had a game without throwing an interception against the Cleveland Browns, but the Raiders’ offense only scored 10 points in the loss.
Fans are clearly fed up with Smith, as the quarterback was heavily booed from the moment he was announced before the game. He hasn’t given them much of a reason to cheer. He took a lot of sacks in Week 12 and missed some open wide receivers that could’ve led to points.
He’s starting to let the frustration get the better of him. After the loss to the Browns, one fan was videotaping Smith as he left the field. The quarterback appears to bring up his hand and point his middle finger at the fans.
Raiderjesse408 on Instagram caught the footage. It’s hard to say for sure if Smith is flipping his middle finger to fans, but he was caught red-handed doing that same gesture before a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks earlier in the year, so he’s not likely to get the benefit of the doubt.
Pete Carroll Continues to Defend Smith
Many believe that it’s time for Smith to head to the bench and give Aidan O’Connell or Kenny Pickett a chance to run the offense. However, Smith is fortunate that head coach Pete Carroll might be his biggest defender.
The Raiders’ offensive line has been a disaster all season, so there’s only so much Smith can do. That said, he does hold onto the ball and take more sacks than necessary. Regardless, Carroll continues to defend Smith.
“We have to protect the quarterback a whole lot better than we did,” Carroll said after the loss.
Will This Be Smith’s Lone Season in Las Vegas?
If Smith is at the point where he’s turning on Raiders fans, it’s going to be difficult for him to be back with the team next season. Las Vegas made a huge mistake by giving him a contract extension before he played a down for the team, but they at least gave him a manageable contract.
The $18.5 million dead cap hit if he’s cut after the season isn’t the worst price to pay. Whether or not Smith returns to the Raiders largely depends on Carroll. If the coach gets fired, it’s unlikely another coach would want to be saddled with Smith.
Even if Carroll stays, the Raiders’ front office could push to make a move. Smith is already 35. He’s not going to start getting better as he gets older. The Raiders keep trying to find Band-Aids at quarterback, but they’d be better off with a rookie right now. The only reason the team would keep Smith is if they plan to draft a quarterback but want the veteran around as insurance in case the rookie isn’t ready to play.
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