“I’ve always been pretty hard on myself, constantly thinking, ‘You’re not good enough.’ But he (Pete Carroll) helped me change the way I spoke to myself, even if just a little,” recalled Geno Smith. In the initial years of his career with the Jets, Geno struggled with injuries and benching. After a brief stint with the Chargers, he landed in Seattle. But only as Russell Wilson‘s backup. Wilson’s trade to the Broncos in 2022 finally gave Smith his chance as QB1 under Coach Pete Carroll. That year, Geno earned the Comeback Player of the Year and Most Improved Player honors.

Now, after gracing the gridiron in Seattle colors for six seasons, Geno is ready to roll in Raiders gear. Once again, with coach Pete. The Seahawks traded Smith to the Raiders in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. There’s a reason why GM John Spytek, who values his draft picks more than anything, agreed to this trade. That reason was Coach Carroll. In the March 27 episode of the Raiders podcast, Spytek revealed how Carroll was a major factor in getting the deal done. “I feel like coach and I kind of hammered home we were going to leave no stone, no rock unturned at really any position. But critically the quarterback position,” said Spytek. 

Talking about choosing Geno for the QB position, John Spytek said, “When you have Coach Carroll in your camp and he can swear by the player, the competitor, the worker, you know, the leader. That’s a front row seat or that’s information that, you know, if I was still with the Bucs, for instance, we wouldn’t have.” No doubt that Pete Carroll knows his players thoroughly. 

Giving a nod to Geno’s rollercoaster career, Spytek made it clear that had it not been for Pete Carroll, the Raiders wouldn’t have considered this trade. It was Carroll’s firsthand knowledge of Geno, his strengths, weaknesses, and how to get the best out of him, that sealed the deal. “So, Coach Carroll was a key factor obviously in this acquisition because of his ability to speak about the person and the competitor. The things that you can’t see on tape,” noted the Raiders GM.

Well, Geno is now locked in as the new QB. Indeed, the team’s next move could be adding a familiar face to the offense.

Geno Smith could get a Pro Bowl weapon in Vegas

The only major signing on the offensive side of the ball Tom Brady‘s Raiders have made is Geno Smith. Other than him, the team has done little to improve the O-line. Going into free agency, Pete Carroll’s team had plenty of cap space. But they still couldn’t add any big names to the roster. Now, the market is starting to thin out, with most franchises locking in the top options in free agency. But there is someone whom the Raiders might give a shot to.

WR Amari Cooper is an impending free agent, as Buffalo is not continuing with him. The Raiders drafted Cooper in 2015, back when they were still called the Oakland Raiders. He spent three seasons with the team before they traded him to the Cowboys. “He may not be interested in coming back to the Raiders, considering how things ended. But the only player left on the team from his time there is Kolton Miller. And it’s a completely different coaching staff,” writes Austin Boyd of Just Blog Baby.

The five-time Pro Bowler didn’t have a very productive season. Cooper caught 44 passes throughout the 2024 season. But the 30-year-old managed to rack up only 547 yards and put 4 TDs to his name. Amari averaged 12.4 yards per reception with the Bills this season. So, while he may not be a long-term option for coach Pete’s team WR depth chart, he might be worth a one-year deal.