NFL media figures were stunned Friday night by a trade that sent quarterback Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks to the Las Vegas Raiders.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported the trade, which sends the veteran QB to Vegas for a third-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Blockbuster: The #Seahawks are trading two-time Pro Bowl QB Geno Smith to the #Raiders for a 2025 third-round pick, sources tell The Insiders.
It’s a reunion for Pete Carroll and Smith, who also is expected to get a new contract. And Seattle will need a new QB. pic.twitter.com/K5X0ZlvX66
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 7, 2025
The trade reunites Smith with his former Seahawks head coach, Pete Carroll, who is now leading the Raiders. Amazon Prime Video analyst Richard Sherman, a Seahawks legend, expressed shock in an X post shortly after the trade news broke.
“Wow. Trading Geno?! Must be a plan that we don’t know about,” he posted.
Wow. Trading Geno?! Must be a plan that we don’t know about.
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) March 8, 2025
Some NFL insiders could not hide their shock.
“Whoa crazy crazy,” Matthew Berry posted.
Whoa crazy crazy. I’m at dinner so I’ll break this down in a bit but damn. Thought Russ would wind up in Las Vegas…. https://t.co/PSkufeYzPy
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) March 8, 2025
Announcing that you traded your starting quarterback for a third round pick in a late Friday afternoon news dump is certainly a choice btw
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) March 8, 2025
Of course, the trade affects more than just the Seahawks and Raiders, as it has sparked the game of dominoes that always involves key positions in the offseason. Many teams eyeing a quarterback, either a veteran or in the draft, took immediate notice. NFL insiders tried to make sense of it all.
so many ramifications from this move https://t.co/sWUOcmKASz
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 8, 2025
Acquiring Geno Smith does not take the Raiders out of the running for a rookie QB. Recall the Browns took Baker Mayfield No. 1 overall shortly after trading a third-rounder for Tyrod Taylor.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) March 8, 2025
It’s amazing watching the QB dominoes fall in place. https://t.co/QTW1DEasli
— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) March 7, 2025
Mina Kimes called it a “terrible move” by the Seahawks, a sentiment shared by many.
Flat out: this is a terrible move by Seattle. Chances of upgrading are extremely low. https://t.co/0I5mI8jZMP
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) March 8, 2025
Emmanuel Acho pointed out that the 34-year-old Smith has been underappreciated.
Geno Smith is 18-14, with a pro bowl in the last 2 years. He’s thrown for 8,000 yards and 41 touchdowns, to just 24 interceptions. It’s hard to find this in the NFL. It’s impossible in the 3rd round of this draft.
The Raiders just got better. The Seahawks, substantially worse. https://t.co/SrdVs1LsyL
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) March 8, 2025
No one had all of the answers Friday night in the immediate aftermath of the trade. But the shocking deal provides plenty of fodder for social media this weekend, and all the sports talk shows Monday.
