The Las Vegas Raiders are in a difficult position midway through the first season of a new leadership regime, which made a big bet on quarterback Geno Smith that hasn’t paid off during a 2-7 start.
Smith is 35 years old and currently leading the NFL with 12 interceptions. He is technically under contract through the 2027 campaign on a two-year extension with the Raiders worth $75 million.
Given the circumstances, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report suggested that instead of trying to draft a franchise QB, the Raiders should look at another trade to upgrade the position heading into 2026. Namely, Knox proposed a deal sending the Arizona Cardinals a first-round pick in 2027 and a third-rounder next season for two-time Pro Bowler Kyler Murray
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“If the Raiders can find a viable alternative, they can release [Smith] with a post-June 1 designation in the spring and save $8 million in cap space,” Knox wrote. “[Head coach Pete] Carroll has also worked with an undersized dual-threat quarterback before in Russell Wilson. Murray’s scrambling ability could be a boon to Chip Kelly’s offense, and the Raiders do have a strong skill group that could support the former Pro Bowler.”
Beyond Smith, the Raiders have quarterbacks Aidan O’Connell and Kenny Pickett on the roster. However, the team traded a third-rounder for Smith as a replacement for O’Connell in the starting lineup, while Pickett is in the final year of his contract and hasn’t made a start for the organization.
Las Vegas could end up with a high pick in next year’s draft, but even if that’s the case and the team can find a franchise-worthy rookie, his timeline won’t necessarily fit with Carroll’s and company. Murray would be a risk given his protracted injury history (22 games missed over the past three and a half seasons and currently on IR) and his $230.5 million contract that runs through 2028 with a club option on the final year.
But a deal for a bonafide signal-caller might be the only path toward competitiveness in the immediate for a Raiders organization that hasn’t posted a winning record since 2021.
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