The Seattle Seahawks stunned the NFL world by trading their starting quarterback, Geno Smith, to the Las Vegas Raiders on the night of March 7, 2025, securing a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in return, as reported by NFL Network. The move reunites Smith with Pete Carroll, his former coach in Seattle and now head coach of the Raiders, ending a transformative tenure with the Seahawks where the 34-year-old reinvented himself as a top-tier QB, leading the league in completion percentage in 2022 and earning two straight Pro Bowl nods. After failing to reach an extension agreement with Smith, who had one year left on a deal carrying a $44.5 million salary cap hit, the Seahawks are now pivoting to free agency, targeting Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. This trade caps a seismic offensive overhaul in Seattle, which already released wide receiver Tyler Lockett and faces a trade request from DK Metcalf, while the Raiders aim to revitalize their attack with a seasoned QB under Carroll’s guidance.
Smith joined the Seahawks in 2019 as a backup to Russell Wilson, stepping into the starting role in 2022 after Wilson’s move to the Denver Broncos, turning a career once defined by underwhelming stints with the Jets, Giants, and Chargers into a breakout success. However, his performance dipped in 2024 under new head coach Mike Macdonald, with the team finishing 8-9 and missing the playoffs. The trade follows the firing of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and the hiring of Klint Kubiak, signaling a deep reset for an offense now seeking a new identity in 2025. Meanwhile, the Raiders, fresh off a 4-13 season with Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O’Connell at the helm, are banking on Smith’s experience and familiarity with Carroll to challenge the Kansas City Chiefs’ dominance in the AFC West.
The quarterback market heats up with this deal, part of a bustling NFL offseason. Smith, expected to ink a new contract with the Raiders per The Athletic, departs Seattle with 254.1 passing yards per game in 2024 and a 93.2 QB rating, while Darnold, boasting 35 touchdowns and a 102.5 rating in the same year, emerges as a key piece for the Seahawks’ future. The trade also bolsters Seattle’s draft capital, adding a third-round pick to their No. 12 overall selection, as both teams reshape their rosters for the upcoming season.
Never change, Lock. pic.twitter.com/Ob7AHKqbJ3
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) March 5, 2025
Geno Smith leaves lasting mark in Seattle
Geno Smith’s Seahawks tenure became a redemption tale. Signed in 2019 as a backup, he seized the starting job in 2022 at age 32, topping the NFL with a 69.8% completion rate and guiding the team to the playoffs with 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns. In 2023, he earned another Pro Bowl nod with 3,624 yards, but 2024 saw a decline, with 15 interceptions against 21 touchdowns in 17 games, reflecting struggles under Macdonald. His exit, after 51 starts and 12,589 total yards, closes a three-year chapter that resurrected his career.
The third-round pick gained in the trade enhances Seattle’s draft flexibility, while shedding Smith’s $44.5 million cap hit frees up roughly $25 million for 2025, per OverTheCap, easing financial pressures for their next moves.
Raiders reunite Smith with Carroll
Smith’s arrival in Las Vegas rekindles his partnership with Pete Carroll, who coached him in Seattle from 2019 to 2022, overseeing his breakout. Carroll, 73, took the Raiders’ reins in January 2025 after Antonio Pierce’s dismissal, leveraging his 14-year Seahawks tenure—including a 2013 Super Bowl win. In 2024, the Raiders floundered with a 4-13 record, their passing game ranking 13th with 3,892 yards despite 612 attempts (fourth-most in the NFL), while their rushing attack languished at 1,517 yards, dead last in the league.
Smith, with a 70.4% completion rate in 2024, should boost the offense alongside rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who dazzled with 1,194 yards and 112 catches. The third-round pick traded reflects the value of a veteran QB for a team in rebuild mode.
Seahawks target Darnold for 2025
With Smith gone, Seattle sets its sights on Sam Darnold, who shone in Minnesota with 35 touchdowns and 254.1 yards per game in 2024, leading the Vikings to a 13-4 record and an NFC Championship berth. At 27, the former Jets and Panthers QB brings youth and upside, poised to join the Seahawks when free agency opens on March 17, the start of the NFL’s new year. His 102.5 rating and 66.2% completion rate outpace Smith’s recent stats, promising a boost for an offense reliant on Jaxon Smith-Njigba post-Lockett and Metcalf.
The shift underscores a quest for stability after a shaky 2024, with Kubiak’s 49ers-inspired system tailored to maximize the new QB’s potential.
Overhaul shakes up Seattle’s offense
Smith’s trade is the latest in a seismic offseason for the Seahawks. Tyler Lockett, second in franchise history with 7,463 receiving yards, was cut on March 4, saving $17 million in cap space. DK Metcalf, sixth with 5,869 yards, requested a trade after seven seasons, frustrated by missing the playoffs since 2022. Grubb’s exit after 12 games and Kubiak’s arrival from San Francisco complete the reset, positioning Smith-Njigba, with 628 yards in 2024, as the primary receiver for 2025.
Seattle’s 8-9 finish in 2024 marked their third playoff miss in four years, but the trade and roster shakeup signal a bold bid to contend in the NFC West, where the Rams led with 11 wins.
Timeline of Smith’s trade
The deal unfolded through key moments:
- 2019: Smith joins Seahawks as Wilson’s backup.
- 2022: Takes over as starter, leads NFL in completion percentage.
- January 2025: Carroll exits Seattle, takes Raiders job.
- March 4: Lockett released; Metcalf seeks trade.
- March 7: Smith traded for a third-round pick.
This sequence highlights the rapid transformation in both franchises.
Raiders aim for leap with Smith
The Raiders’ 4-13 record in 2024 exposed a dismal offense: a league-worst 1,517 rushing yards and a passing game with 3,892 yards despite 612 attempts, ranking fourth in volume but 13th in output. Smith’s 4,321 yards in 2024 should stabilize the QB spot, leveraging Bowers, who shattered rookie records with 153 targets. Carroll, with 137 wins in 14 Seahawks seasons, banks on his history with Smith to challenge the Chiefs, who’ve dominated the AFC West in 10 of the last 11 years.
Holding the No. 6 draft pick, Las Vegas retains flexibility to pursue a future QB, though Smith, turning 35 in October, serves as a 2025 bridge.
Darnold raises Seattle’s ceiling
Sam Darnold emerges as Seattle’s answer after a stellar 2024 in Minnesota, throwing 35 touchdowns to 12 interceptions and fueling a 13-4 campaign. Compared to Smith, Darnold’s 66.2% completion and 102.5 rating offer sharper precision and seven fewer years, ideal for a long-term build. With $43 million in cap space post-cuts, Seattle could ink Darnold to a $25 million-per-year deal, offsetting Smith’s $44.5 million hit.
Smith-Njigba, with 63 catches in 2024, steps up as the top target, while the draft could replenish a receiving corps depleted by Lockett and Metcalf’s departures.
NFC and AFC West feel the ripple
The trade shakes up the West divisions. In the NFC, Seattle, with Darnold and Kubiak, aims to topple the Rams (11-6 in 2024) and 49ers (10-7), who paced the division. In the AFC, the Raiders, with Smith and Carroll, take on the Chiefs (14-3), facing rising Broncos (9-8) and Chargers (8-9). Of the Raiders’ 612 pass attempts in 2024, just 52% yielded yards, versus 66% for the Chiefs, a gap Smith must bridge.
The NFL offseason, with 32 teams tweaking rosters, projects 1.5 billion viewers for 2025, and both Seahawks and Raiders vie for the spotlight.
Key stats behind the trade
The deal hinges on notable figures:
- 254.1: Smith’s yards per game in 2024.
- 35: Darnold’s touchdowns in 2024.
- 4-13: Raiders’ 2024 record.
- 8-9: Seahawks’ 2024 mark.
- $44.5 million: Smith’s cap hit cleared.
These numbers underscore the trade’s significance for both teams.
