The NFL’s negotiating window opened at noon ET on Monday, and while free agency won’t officially open until 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, there has been no shortage of activity. Some franchises have been more aggressive than others in the goings, and for fans of those in the latter category, it can feel like their favorite team is missing out.
Fans of the Las Vegas Raiders might feel like their team hasn’t done enough. Las Vegas certainly wasn’t idle on Monday—it re-signed Malcolm Koonce while adding safety Jeremy Chinn—but the Raiders didn’t make the sort of splashes some other teams made.
The Raiders also watched players like Nate Hobbs, Tre’Von Moehrig and Robert Spillane agree to terms with other franchises.
It’s important to remember, however, that general manager John Spytek took care of the team’s biggest need on Friday when he traded for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.
Getting Smith for a 2025 third-round pick already made the Raiders big winners. The 34-year-old has made two Pro Bowls in the last three seasons and has gone 27-21 as a starter during that span.
Smith will also reunite with new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll and should complement offensive playmakers like Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers.
Less than 24 hours into free agency, however, the Smith trade looks like an even bigger win for Las Vegas. This was never a particularly impressive free-agent quarterback class, and the top two QBs on the B/R free-agent big board have already agreed to deals.
Sam Darnold is headed to Seattle on a three-year, $110.5 million contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Justin Fields will join the New York Jets on a two-year, $40 million deal, according to Schefter.
Now, Smith will almost assuredly receive an extension sooner than later, and he’ll likely earn significantly more than either Darnold or Fields. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Smith was seeking $45 million annually, while Seattle was willing to offer a deal more similar to Darnold’s:
However, the extra money will ensure that the Raiders have a quarterback with far fewer questions. Darnold was a Pro Bowler in 2024 but floundered in his last two games with the Minnesota Vikings. It’s also unclear whether he can continue to thrive in an offense that doesn’t feature Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson.
The risk of Darnold reverting to the poor play he exhibited early in his career is very real.
Fields has tremendous athletic upside but has only shown his ceiling in flashes, not on a consistent basis.
Smith may only solidify Las Vegas’ quarterback position for the next four or five years, but there’s an extremely slim chance that the Raiders will be back in the QB market next offseason.
Had the Raiders not landed Smith and targeted Darnold or Fields instead, they might have had to overpay to land one of them or missed out entirely.
And entering Day 2 of free agency, the remaining options are underwhelming. Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Aaron Rodgers—who is set to be released by the Jets after the start of the new league year on Wednesday—top the list.
Winston has a problematic penchant for turnovers, Wilson played poorly down the stretch in 2024, and the 41-year-old Rodgers is probably a one- or two-year option at best.
There could be fairly heavy competition for both Rodgers and Wilson anyway. The Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans remain in the quarterback market. Pittsburgh could bring back Wilson, who has drawn interest from Tennessee, according to SNY’s Connor Hughes:
The Steelers could also be interested in Rodgers, according to Schefter.
While the Cleveland Browns traded for quarterback Kenny Pickett, they’re still expected to pursue another veteran QB, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Other quarterbacks are available, including Daniel Jones, Joe Flacco, Mac Jones and Taylor Heinicke. For a team looking for a quick turnaround like Las Vegas, they should be considered backup or bridge options at best.
Teams still looking for a 2025 starter will either need to make a big gamble in free agency or an arguably even bigger gamble on Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders in April’s draft.
Fortunately, the Raiders removed themselves from the quarterback carousel before free agency even began. Instead of worrying about who will be behind center in 2025, possibly overpaying to find an answer, Las Vegas can focus on finding value in what is considered to be a fairly average free-agent class.
That might mean finding bargains in the second and third waves of free agency. That’s OK because building a contender is a lot easier with an above-average quarterback in the locker room. The Raiders have that in Smith, and anything else they add in the coming days should be considered a bonus.
