"It hasn’t always been easy for him": Raiders GM John Spytek explains how Geno Smith defied ‘bust’ quarterback label

Geno Smith has had a rollercoaster of an NFL career to this point. He was originally drafted in the second round (No. 39) by the New York Jets in the 2013 NFL draft. He then started for the franchise for two seasons before becoming a backup in the league for the next six seasons.

However, he then had a great tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, where he once again found his game and became the starting QB for the past three seasons.

This offseason, Smith was traded from Seattle to the Las Vegas Raiders and is widely expected to be the team's starting QB for the 2025 season. While appearing on the popular "NFL Spotlight With Ari Meirov" show on Tuesday, Raiders general manager John Spytek revealed why he had a strong interest in trading for Smith this offseason.

"Geno’s played a lot of good football," Spytek said (Timestamp: 27:20). "It hasn’t always been easy for Geno, but he just keeps coming back at you and fighting and competing. And I really admire that. And then—they can both really throw the football, so that’s cool too.

"So, you kind of mirror, you know, you kind of match those two things up, and you feel like those guys give you a shot every week because they’re wired and built the right way. And then they can challenge the field all over the place with their arm too."

Over the last three seasons, Smith has been a top QB in the NFL. He has averaged approximately 4,075 passing yards, 25 total touchdowns and 11 interceptions per season during that span.

Can the Las Vegas Raiders compete with Geno Smith at QB?

With the addition of Smith, the Las Vegas Raiders now have one of the most exciting offensive units in the entire league. The club already had superstar tight end Brock Bowers on the roster, and Las Vegas used their sixth pick in the 2025 NFL draft to select Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty.

Last year, Las Vegas averaged 79.8 rushing yards per contest, ranked No. 32 in the entire league. Furthermore, the team only averaged 18.2 points per game, a value that was 29th.

With Smith, Jeanty and Bowers all in Las Vegas now, there is a good chance that the Raiders will improve on their terrible offensive statistics from the 2024 season.