Thoughts on Raiders giving Geno Smith contract extension

Breaking down new deal

The Las Vegas Raiders gave Geno Smith a new contract extension Thursday. We break down the major aspects of the deal:

Probably less than he expected:

The Raiders are basically paying Smith $106 million over three years with some incentives and solid guarantees. Frankly, this is probably less that what he aimed to get when talks started with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. But they were far apart and the Seahawks dealt him to the Raiders. The word is he wanted to average more than $40 million a year, but now he has to hope he can cash in on the incentives. Don’t get me wrong, this is a solid deal for Smith, who will turn 35 this year and became a quality starter in recent years. But it’s also a fair deal for all involved.

Three-year window:

Smith likely won’t be the Raiders’ starting quarterback in 2028. He will be 37 when his contract expires. He has the same contract length as Pete Carroll, who he thrived under in Seattle. This is the window. If the Raiders are going to win with Smith it will be soon.

Contract timeline:

The deal was agreed to 27 days after the trade, the Raiders sent a third-down pick (No. 92 overall), was agreed upon. It may have taken some time, but it was always going to happen. The Raiders start their offseason workout program Tuesday and Smith is expected to be there. So, getting the deal completed now makes sense.

Change draft plan?

There is no reason to think this contract changes the way the Raiders approach the quarterback position in the draft. It was reported shortly after the trade that the Raiders could still take a quarterback in the first round. That is probably still the case. It’s probably not likely, but it could happen. Yet, the more probable scenario is the Raiders look to draft a quarterback to groom under Smith in the mid rounds. This contract doesn’t change that.