This was the year that Geno Smith was supposed to prove that his first couple of years as the starter for the Seattle Seahawks were not a fluke, but the opposite has been true. In nine games with the Las Vegas Raiders, Smith has thrown 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions and led the team to a 2-7 record.
The Raiders play a really bad Dallas Cowboys defense on Monday Night Football in Week 11, so if Smith can’t finally post some good numbers, it won’t bode well for his future. At this point, it might not even matter.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes that it is more likely that Smith is one-and-done with the Raiders than it is that he comes back for another season.
“It would be a surprise if Smith made it to a second season with the Raiders as the starting quarterback,” Barnwell wrote. “But there are explanations that can be made for his struggles. Smith hasn’t had a healthy Brock Bowers for most of the season, and it’s no surprise that his two best games have come when the team’s franchise tight end was healthy against the Patriots and Jaguars. The Raiders have fielded replacement-level tackles since Kolton Miller went down because of an ankle injury in Week 4. And Chip Kelly’s return to the NFL as Vegas’ offensive coordinator has been a major disappointment, with the Raiders struggling to run or find reliable ways to get their best players the ball.”
An issue with moving off of Smith is that he has an $18.5 million dead cap hit next season, and the Raiders will have to pay him an additional $8 million if they keep him on the roster after the start of the league year in March.
If the Raiders find a new starting quarterback, Barnwell did point out that Smith has value as a backup.
“The question for the Raiders is whether they’d want to pay an additional $8 million to keep Smith as their backup in 2026,” Barnwell wrote. “He was already a well-established and respected backup before getting his opportunity to replace Russell Wilson in Seattle, and Smith could probably expect to land a contract in that price range if he hit free agency to serve as a backup or potential bridge starter to a young quarterback somewhere else. The Raiders probably would be interested in someone like Smith if they plan to draft a quarterback in 2026 anyway, so it wouldn’t be too foolish to just pay the additional $8 million and hold on to the guy they already know.”
In an ideal world, the Raiders would be able to trade Smith and reclaim some kind of asset. While Barnwell thinks anything is possible, he doesn’t believe it’s likely that Las Vegas could find a suitor for the quarterback.
“If the Raiders want to try trading Smith, they’d have to get creative,” Barnwell wrote. “Wilder things have happened, but I can’t imagine any team taking on the full $26.5 million owed to Smith next season. Las Vegas could alternately eat some of the $8 million left for Smith to make his deal more palatable and recoup a late-round pick in the process. But that’s never a fun conversation to have with ownership, especially about a player who was prioritized by this new regime.”
The Denver Broncos received tough news Friday afternoon.
As NBC Sports noted, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that running back J.K. Dobbins will amiss Sunday’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs due to a significant foot injury.
Rapoport added that Dobbins is “believed to be out for the foreseeable future.”
His placement on injured reserve remains a real possibility as the team evaluates its options.
“Dobbins is still working through options, and while there is no final determination, IR remains a possibility,” Rapoport said.
The report came from himself and Tom Pelissero.
The development marks a quick escalation from earlier in the week, when Dobbins missed Wednesday and Thursday’s practices.
At that point, the team had not revealed the full severity of the injury.
Dobbins’ injury stems from a hip-drop tackle last Thursday against the Raiders, a play that left him frustrated enough to take to X and call for the move to be banned.
Dobbins ranks fifth in the NFL with 772 rushing yards and has been a huge part of Denver’s offense so far this season.
While Dobbins has officially been ruled out for Week 11, the next major decision comes quickly.
The Broncos must determine by Saturday afternoon whether to place him on injured reserve.
If he is moved to IR before Sunday, the Chiefs game will count toward a required four-game absence.
Placing Dobbins on IR would sideline him for matchups against the Chiefs, Commanders, Raiders, and Packers.
He would be eligible to return Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Head coach Sean Payton acknowledged that discussions are ongoing.
“Nothing has been decided yet, and at some point there will be more clarity with him and some of these other players,” Payton said earlier this week.
Denver’s Week 12 bye gives the team a small cushion, but if the injury is significant enough to keep him out multiple weeks, the IR designation becomes more likely.
“With JK Dobbins potentially headed to Injured Reserve, all eyes turn to RJ Harvey,” Rapoport said.
RJ Harvey has already flashed his dynamic potential in limited work.
Payton praised Harvey’s running style, durability, and readiness to step into a larger role:
“When we drafted him, it was his running skillset, and he had a lot of touches at Central Florida,” Payton said.
“You are starting to see him grow in front of our eyes, and he will have more opportunities in this game.”
Tyler Badie will likely mix in as a third down guy, while Jaleel McLaughlin could be active as well.
Sunday’s divisional matchup against the Chiefs carries major playoff implications for both teams and Harvey has a huge opportunity to step up and flourish in the RB1 role.