Geno Smith's NFL odyssey has taken him to Las Vegas, where he's reunited with coach Pete Carroll, a reality he once deemed all but impossible.
Their reconnection, Smith said Monday, was a product of fate. The reasoning, while somewhat cliché, is simple.
"I think there is unfinished business, and I think when people think about my story, you know, Coach Carroll was a big part of that," Smith explained during his introductory news conference Monday. "He gave me an opportunity when not many people would have. He saw the hard work that I was putting in, he saw the things behind the scenes that I do that allow me to get this opportunity. But to be able to play for him and again, to be a part of this organization, it means everything to myself and my family.
"I was just telling him, man, I'll run through a wall for him, and he knows that. I'll do the same for my teammates and for this organization, and so I just want that to be, you know, kind of who I am and I want that to be the statement of who I am as the quarterback of this team."
Carroll was the coach who saw starter potential in Smith, a quarterback most everyone had cast off as nothing more than a veteran backup when he arrived in Seattle in 2021. Once Carroll and Seahawks general manager John Schneider decided to trade Russell Wilson to Denver, they knew they had their replacement on the roster in Smith, who led Seattle to a surprising 9-8 finish and playoff berth in 2022 while posting then-career best marks in completion percentage, passing yards and touchdown passes on his way to the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year Award.
A year later, Carroll was out as coach of the Seahawks. When Mike Macdonald arrived to replace him, Smith knew his days in Seattle might be numbered. After Smith and Seattle were unable to work out an extension, the QB moved on. It was fitting that his next stop would bring him back to Carroll, who believes Smith will provide the Raiders with what they need most: reliability under center.
"He's going to bring us great stability and belief in the kinds of things that we stand for," Carroll said of Smith. "His habits are so, so stellar; the way he works, the way he looks at the game, the way he looks at the challenges of it all is exactly in line with the way we think. So, he'll represent us in magnificent fashion.
"I think it gives us instant stability in a crucial spot. The history that we have and my understanding of G, and how to help him be the best he can be, and he knows how to bring out the best in our system because he'll stand for the competitiveness and the things that we believe in. It's just a great fit and I'm so thrilled. This has been coming but today feels like the real deal. We're finally here together, sitting next to each other and talking about getting out on the field and throwing football around and that's what we're all about and so we couldn't be more connected in that regard."
Carroll went on to commend Smith for his determination despite the previous circumstances that surrounded him, including during their time in Seattle, explaining Smith impressed him with his focus on maximizing every opportunity in front of him, no matter the size.
Smith credited his journey for his consistent approach in which he's never taken a single snap for granted.
"My mindset has never changed. It's the same thing every day -- go out there and compete, go out there and win, do what it takes to be the best," Smith said. "Even when I was the backup that's how I felt. I think that allowed me to stay in it, and now that I get the opportunity to start, nothing changes. I'm still, in my mind, that same guy who had to fight, scratch and claw for the opportunity and that will never leave me."
Smith is now the starter in Las Vegas for the foreseeable future, especially after agreeing to a two-year extension worth a maximum of $88.5 million with the Raiders last week. With Carroll's obvious confidence in Smith supporting him, the Raiders are now the veteran's team.
He plans on using his experience and proven ability to lead the group out of relative irrelevance.
"It's about us going out there and earning every single thing and I want all of us to believe that we have to go and earn it," Smith said. "I'm going to be the guy that gives every single thing that I got and that's every single day -- I'm never going to let up. I'm going to do whatever it takes to go out there and win. It's important that my teammates see that and see that in me, and I want them to be inspired by that."
Smith will not be doing it alone. He's eager to soak up as much knowledge from Raiders minority owner Tom Brady as possible, explaining he wants "to be a sponge" when interacting with the legendary quarterback in order to prove he is "here to win and I'm here to do the right things for my teammates, just like he did."
Ultimately, the proof will come in the results. For the first time in what seems like many years, though, the Raiders have adopted a remarkably optimistic outlook entering a new season. They have a proven coach and quarterback to lead them into 2025, and are positioned to add more talent in the upcoming draft.
Sunny tone or not, Smith promised it won't change him one bit. He knows he'll have to earn everything on the field and is ready to get started.
"I realized that in this business, this is the big leagues, and there is a lot of talk that goes on, but I understand that the work is what matters the most and what you actually do is what matters the most," Smith said. "I know we're here doing a lot of talking today, but I'm really about just... Like Marshawn said, 'I'm about that action."
