A year ago, Geno Smith was shipped to the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting him with Pete Carroll and giving him the contract the Seattle Seahawks weren’t willing to pay.
Now 35 and approaching his 14th NFL season, Smith finds himself back on the market, joining an underwhelming crop of free-agent passers that includes Malik Willis, Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins and possibly Tua Tagovailoa. ESPN’s Kevin Clark listed the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins as potential landing spots for Smith, while Jeremy Fowler feels the veteran's “preferred” destination would be the Minnesota Vikings.
“He was by far the most-sacked quarterback in football last year,” Clark said Friday on NFL Live. “He had a run game that was stuffed at the line far more than anybody else in football. … I think, in a different system, with different coaches and different talent around him, he could’ve had a good year last year. That just wasn’t in the cards. He didn’t play well. He made mistakes. He is going to be on the second or even third tier of available quarterbacks.”
But that same argument might not be a bad thing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Steelers loom as perfect dark horse for Geno Smith in free agency
The Steelers are waiting on Aaron Rodgers to decide whether he wants to return for a second season in black and gold. If the four-time Associated Press NFL MVP opts against continuing with Mike McCarthy’s team, the Steelers could turn to Smith as a bridge quarterback while continuing to search for a long-term solution.
A reunion with DK Metcalf could help ease that transition. The star wideout, who was also traded from Seattle last offseason, shouldered a heavy load for Mike Tomlin’s attack in 2025, pacing Pittsburgh with 850 receiving yards and six touchdown grabs. During their time together with the Seahawks, Metcalf posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with Smith throwing him passes. Metcalf narrowly missed a third after finishing eight yards shy in 2024.
Smith had a turbulent go of it last season, throwing a league-high 17 interceptions. He was sacked 55 times, which tied Tennessee Titans rookie signal-caller Cam Ward for the NFL lead. The Raiders’ rushing game wasn’t much of a help, averaging a league-worst 77.5 yards per game. Along with Brock Bowers, Smith’s targets included Tre Tucker, Jack Bech and Donte Thornton. Tucker was the only wideout to put up more than 250 receiving yards, while Tyler Lockett was on his last legs and Jakobi Meyers was traded to Jacksonville in November. Considering the circumstances, there aren’t many passers that would’ve excelled.
The Steelers, meanwhile, are making a concerted effort to boost their receiving corps, having formally met with at least 10 wideouts at the NFL Scouting Combine. Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, Washington’s Denzel Boston and Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion have been projected as potential first-round picks for Pittsburgh in recent mock drafts.
Two go-rounds ago, Smith passed for 4,320 yards, the fourth-most in the league. If Rodgers walks and McCarthy buys that last season was a disaster for Smith due to what surrounded him, Smith could emerge as a viable option in Pittsburgh. Put him with a better offensive line and a better group of weapons (plus a better OC in Arthur Smith), and Pittsburgh could find themselves with a nice buy-low candidate to keep them afloat next season — one who probably doesn't have his sights set on a regular guest spot with Pat McAfee.