Just when you think the NFL is going to be quiet, the Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks had something to say about that on Friday. The Raiders are reportedly trading a 2025 third-round pick to the Seahawks in exchange for quarterback Geno Smith. Yes, you read that right — Pete Carroll's Raiders will now have Geno Smith at quarterback for the 2025 season.
The deal was first reported by Jordan Schultz of NFL on FOX and the details confirmed by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Blockbuster: The #Seahawks are trading two-time Pro Bowl QB Geno Smith to the #Raiders for a 2025 third-round pick, sources tell The Insiders.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 7, 2025
It’s a reunion for Pete Carroll and Smith, who also is expected to get a new contract. And Seattle will need a new QB. pic.twitter.com/K5X0ZlvX66
This deal sends shockwaves through an already uncertain quarterback market. The Raiders had to feel as if they were somewhat blocked in terms of the QB arms race this offseason, especially at the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and turned their attention to Matthew Stafford. When that dried up, they orchestrated this stroke of genius to land Smith from Seattle.
Still, it doesn't take away from the shock of it all, so let's dive into it as we hand out NFL trade grades to both teams for this trade.
Geno Smith trade grades for Raiders and Seahawks
Raiders trade grade: A
You couldn't ask for anything better if you're a Raiders fan. Even if the Raiders did have a chance at Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders in the draft, Ward is anything but ready and Sanders' high-end comp from many is Smith. Bringing in a head coach like Carroll, Vegas was setting itself up to win now, making them more likely to bring in a veteran — but even those options like Sam Darnold or even Kirk Cousins are less certain than what Smith has provided.
Smith immediately gives the Raiders stability at a position where they've lacked it since parting ways with Derek Carr — and some would argue even when they had Carr in the building. Furthermore, giving up just a third-round pick gives Vegas a ton of flexibility in the draft to add to an offense that now has Smith, a solid offensive line, and Brock Bowers to work with. And oh yeah, they also have ample cap space to remain aggressive this offseason, even after taking on Smith.
It might be a shock to the system, to be sure, but the Raiders are working at a high level to get a deal like this done. We hoped the future was bright in Sin City when Carroll was hired and with Tom Brady being active as a minority owner, but the future might be arriving much sooner than anyone expected after this trade.
Seahawks trade grade: C
For whatever reason, the Seahawks have never seemed quite pot-committed to Geno Smith and now that's an absolute certainty. That doesn't make it any easier for me to digest, even if it's something that a portion of the fan base was asking to happen for quite some time.
Seattle goes back to essentially square one after this trade, though. As we just talked about with the Raiders, this isn't the best offseason to be in need of a quarterback. Maybe that's something they're comfortable with and are looking well into the future at a much stronger 2026 draft class, but this is also in tandem with the potential for a DK Metcal trade as well. It almost feels like the Seahawks are quiet-quitting or blowing it up on this current roster. That's strange for a team that is perennially on the cusp of the postseason.
Frankly, if it were an organization that hasn't been as successful as the Seahawks have been, I would've given a much harsher grade than a "C". But because Seattle has been as good as they've been for so long, I'll give them some benefit of the doubt that there's a plan in place. Right now, though, it's definitely hard to see what that plan might be or how it's better than just continuing forward with Smith.