The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2025 campaign has spiraled into disaster. After a 40–6 humiliation at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, they sit at 1–4, and most of their struggles trace directly to the quarterback position. Geno Smith was supposed to breathe life into the Raiders’ offense, but he’s sucked the wind out of their sails instead.
Smith, who arrived in Las Vegas via trade from the Seattle Seahawks and signed a two-year, $75 million extension with a $40 million cap hit this season, has been nothing short of a liability. Through five games, he’s thrown nine interceptions, the most in the NFL and more than the Raiders’ total team touchdowns (eight). No Las Vegas quarterback has thrown as many picks in his first five games since Jim Plunkett in 1982, according to ESPN Research. Smith’s interception rate of 5.5% is the second-worst in the league and on pace to be the highest of his 12-year career.
Beyond turnovers, the advanced metrics paint an equally grim picture. Smith’s 74.1 grade ranks just 24th of 37 qualifying quarterbacks, and his EPA per dropback (-0.07) ranks 30th overall, per PFSN’s NFL QB Impact model. His sack rate of 8.9% is the 27th-worst in the league, the highest pressure-to-sack ratio of his career. These inefficiencies have neutralized any offensive rhythm, and even his late-game stat padding has failed to disguise the regression.
In Sunday’s loss to the Colts, Smith went 25-of-36 for 228 yards and two interceptions, taking four sacks and committing another red-zone turnover. Head coach Pete Carroll’s vision of an innovative Raiders offense has become one-dimensional and prone to errors.
Smith’s nine interceptions have directly contributed to the Las Vegas’ four-game losing streak, and his decision-making has eroded week by week. The disparity is evident when compared to other quarterbacks around the league, players like Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, and Matthew Stafford, who have led their teams efficiently.
Meanwhile, Kenny Pickett, acquired for a fifth-round pick before the season, remains unused. The former first-rounder has logged 4,765 career passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles. Pickett isn’t unproven, he’s experienced enough to stabilize a locker room desperate for direction. The Raiders' refusal to give him snaps, even in blowouts, is indefensible.
In response to a question about switching from Smith to Pickett against the Colts, Carroll responded:
“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, so these are the games that we’re working on, and these are the games that we learn from and grow from so that we can change the course of the way games are going.”
If Carroll’s goal is to “get better and get right,” that improvement won’t come with Smith continuing to sabotage possessions. The Raiders invested heavily in a veteran who has become the league’s interception leader and one of its least efficient passers. Sticking with him risks turning a bad season into a wasted one.
The solution is clear: bench Geno Smith and start Kenny Pickett.
