"I really didn’t fit the culture": Geno Smith makes feelings known on choosing Raiders over Seahawks

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith was acquired in a trade via the Seattle Seahawks in March. While Seattle received a third-round selection in the 2025 NFL draft for him, Smith says he finally feels like belongs at a place.

"Vegas is perfect for me," Smith told ESPN on Monday. "... Me being a Miami kid, and how I was raised and act, I really didn't fit the culture (in Seattle)."

NFL: Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots - Source: Imagn

Although Smith appreciated his time with the Seahawks, where he earned two Pro Bowl selections and became a starter after years as a backup, he said the Pacific Northwest never quite suited him. He compared Seattle to his college days in West Virginia, slower-paced and lacking sunshine. More importantly, he never felt like the Seahawks were truly his team.

"I finally got my team (Las Vegas)," Smith said. "I always felt like I was trying to replace Russell (Wilson in Seattle), and you can never replace all the great things that he did. So I never felt like Seattle was my team.

"Also, I didn't feel like I fit the aesthetic of the Seattle organization."

When Las Vegas traded for Smith, the team showed that he would be their QB1.

“The Raiders just fit me,” Smith said.

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Geno Smith thought of retiring before joining the Seahawks

After starting for the New York Jets in his first two seasons, Geno Smith spent five years as a backup with the New York Jets, New York Giants and the LA Chargers. From 2015 to 2018, he appeared in only seven games and started two. His early career stats included 34 interceptions in two seasons.

By 2019, Smith was 28 and unsure about his future in football. He felt NFL evaluators did not see him as a reliable starter again.

"I'm making money, but I'm not achieving my goals," Smith recalled, via ESPN . "There was this glass ceiling that was put above me. No matter what (I did), I could only get this far. And so I wanted to do other things outside of football.

"It wasn't my confidence breaking. I think it was the confidence I had in the evaluators, if anything. I didn't think they saw my talent or what I could bring to the table."

Nevertheless, he signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks that same year, and now in Las Vegas, Geno Smith is starting to believe the game and his career are truly his.

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