When the Las Vegas Raiders traded a third-round pick gave a two-year, $75 million extension to quarterback Geno Smith, the hope was that he would be a guiding light in a new era of Raiders football.
Before the start of the season, Smith said, “I didn’t come to Vegas to roll the dice… I came to run the table.”
Yet, just five games into his tenure as a Raider, Smith hasn’t run any tables. He leads the league with nine interceptions, which is more than the total touchdowns the Raiders have scored this season (8).
There’s no sugarcoating it: the Raiders should bench him.
It’s Time for the Raiders to Bench Geno Smith
Smith’s nine interceptions are the most by any Raiders QB in the team’s first five games of a season since Jim Plunkett in 1982 (9), according to ESPN Research. The last time a quarterback had nine interceptions in the team’s first five games was Zach Wilson back in 2021.
The good news for the Raiders is that they have someone worth trying out in Kenny Pickett. The former 2022 first-round pick has appeared in 30 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles with 4,765 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.
Pickett is excited to be a part of the Raiders’ franchise, saying, “I’m taking it very seriously to be ready to go out there, whatever happens, and be ready to perform. So that’s kind of just where my mindset is right now.”
However, when asked about potentially benching Smith in favor of Pickett in the game against the Indianapolis Colts, here’s what head coach Pete Carroll had to say:
“I was thinking of a reason to do that, but here’s a reason why I didn’t do that. We need to stay out there and keep practicing. We need to keep practicing, we need the reps, we need the turns, we need to run the system, we need to feel it, we need to see the guys get their opportunities to improve. It’s not like a big change. I thought about it… But that’s not what’s necessary. We need to get better and get right.”
Let’s be honest here, Smith isn’t making this team better, and it’s best for the team to see what they have in Pickett, who has yet to play a meaningful snap for the Raiders.
Looking Towards the Draft
At this point, all Raiders‘ fans can do is look toward the future. It’s likely not with Smith under center, but rather a young quarterback who is currently playing college ball.
Here’s a list of some of the top quarterbacks who could be wearing Silver and Black next season:
- Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (6’5″, 225 lbs)
- Grant Nussmeier, LSU (6’1″, 205 lbs)
- Dante Moore, Oregon (6’3″, 206 lbs)
- LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina (6’3″, 240 lbs)
- John Mateer, Oklahoma (6’1″, 224 lbs)
- Drew Allar, Penn State (6’5″, 235 lbs)
- Arch Manning, Texas (6’4″, 219 lbs)
Of course, there are plenty of other quarterbacks the Raiders could draft, but these are some of the top names to keep an eye on.
No matter what happens, it feels like Smith’s time as the starter is quickly coming to an end, whether Carroll likes it or not.
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