Pete Carroll defends Geno Smith flipping off Seahawks fan after Raiders QB takes heat over NSFW gesture

Las Vegas Raiders v Seattle Seahawks - NFL Preseason 2025 - Source: Getty
Geno Smith had an incident in his Lumen Field return - Source: Getty

Geno Smith returned to the Seattle Seahawks' home field on Thursday, with the Las Vegas Raiders tying a 23-23 game against his old team. The quarterback was traded from the Seahawks after the 2024 season, teaming up again with Pete Carroll, his former head coach in Seattle.

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Smith had a decent stint as the starter for the Seahawks. He became the starter in 2022 after Russell Wilson left via trade, and he made great contributions on the field. However, negotiations for a new deal stalled, and he was moved to the Raiders. Despite the move, he left the franchise on good terms.

But a grim moment happened on Thursday as the two teams battled in Week 1 of the preseason. A fan held a sign written "Bigger bust: Geno or JaMarcus Russell?", referencing the ultra-bust made 1st overall pick by the Raiders in 2007. Frustrated with the sign, Smith gave the double bird to the fan holding the sign.

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Carroll, a Seahawks legend for his stint as a head coach, tried to snatch the sign from the fan. On Sunday, he was asked by the Raiders' reporters about his thoughts on what Geno did.

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"Did you see what the sign said? Next question," Carroll said, coming to defence of his quaterback.
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Geno Smith "happy" for Lumen Field return despite incident with fan

Geno Smith spoke with Seahawks reporter Bob Condotta about returning to his home for the past six seasons. Despite what happened with the fan, Smith said that it was special to return to his previous home.

"It means everything to me. We all know about the 12s and how special they are. They're a big part of why the Seahawks are a really good team. It's always fun when you can go back to a place you loved. I thought it was really good for me and a great experience."

After the trade, Smith signed a two-year contract extension with the Raiders that has him under contract until the 2027 season. The Seahawks and the Raiders will not face each other during the 2025 season.

Raiders Nation! Check out the latest Las Vegas Raiders Schedule and dive into the Raiders Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Henrique Bulio
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