Las Vegas Raiders: "That's dirty talk" - $8.767 million Raiders star reveals first conversation with Geno Smith after trade for star QB

"That's dirty talk" - $8.767 million Raiders star reveals first conversation with Geno Smith after trade for star QB

Modified May 25, 2025 21:34 GMT

NFL: Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams - Source: Imagn

The Las Vegas Raiders traded for Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. The move has been praised by fans and analysts alike as the Raiders finally have their answer at the quarterback position.

However, it is also clear that Smith's teammates also love the move for the QB, including offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson. While appearing on "The Rush Podcast," Powers-Johnson, who is on a four-year, $8.767 million contract, revealed that Smith immediately wanted to start talking about pass protection right after joining the team.

"Right when he kinda walked in to the building," Powers-Johnson said. "Like, I went up to him and just dapped him up. And, he's like 'Hey, let's talk protection'. I'm like, that's like, that's dirty talk for a center.

"We kinda texted back and forth, then he's like, 'Hey man, I'm out in Fort Lauderdale, like you should come out, like I'll fly you out or whatever, put you up and let's get some snaps in and like, just get some good fellowship.'"

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The Raiders selected Powers-Johnson with the No. 44 pick in the 2024 NFL draft out of Oregon.

Las Vegas struggled last season. However, a large reason behind their dissappointing campaign came down to inconsistent and poor QB play. Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew and Desmond Ridder all struggled in the Raiders offense, something that Smith will unquestionably improve upon in 2025.

Last season, Smith had 4,320 passing yards, 23 total touchdowns, 15 interceptions, 272 rushing yards and an impressive completion percentage of 70.4%.

Will the Las Vegas Raiders make the playoffs in 2025?

We used Sportskeeda's Playoff Predictor Tool to see where the Las Vegas Raiders would finish the regular season in 2025. In the simulation, the Raiders once again had a difficult season and did not make the playoffs.

However, the team did show some improvement from the 2024 campaign. Last season, the Raiders finished with a record of 4-13. In the simulation, the Raiders finished the 2025 season with a record of 6-11.

The franchise had wins over the LA Chargers twice, the Indianapolis Colts, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants.

About the author

Joshua Gillesby is a College Sports journalist at Sportskeeda who graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor's in Arts & Science.

Josh is based in Ontario, Canada and his favorite college team is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, due in large part to his former hockey team being invited for a tour of the facilities and watching a game while there.

His favorite past college football player is Joe Burrow, as his 2019 season was incredible and a major reason behind LSU's playoff success and National Championship.

Outside of work, Josh enjoys traveling, reading, writing, and science.

Know More

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

Edited by Joshua Gillesby