Raiders Set to Release Geno Smith, Clearing Path for Fernando Mendoza
The Las Vegas Raiders are set to release quarterback Geno Smith unless a trade is completed before the start of the new league year, a move that directly paves the way for the club to select Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick. The decision reshapes the team’s salary picture and signals a generational shift at the quarterback position.
Fernando Mendoza: top pick and what the Raiders plan next
The Raiders hold the first selection in the upcoming draft and it is expected they will use that pick on Fernando Mendoza. Team executives have signaled that the organization is unlikely to thrust a young quarterback into an immediate, unquestioned starting role. The franchise is expected to add at least one experienced quarterback to compete for the starting job alongside Mendoza and the current backup, Aidan O'Connell.
The front-office stance on a gradual development plan for Mendoza suggests the team will prioritize a controlled transition rather than an overnight rebuild at the position. This approach allows Mendoza time to acclimate to the NFL environment while the club searches for short-term stability under center.
Reasons behind the decision to release Geno Smith
The move to cut Geno Smith is driven by both financial and on-field considerations. Releasing Smith will free approximately $8 million in cap space while saddling the team with $18. 5 million in dead cap. The timing is also important for guaranteed compensation: by making this move before the third day of the new league year, the Raiders avoid triggering an additional guaranteed payment to Smith.
Performance factors played a central role. Across 15 starts, Smith accumulated 3, 025 passing yards with 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions — the highest interception total in the league this past season and his highest since a noted early-career mark. Smith threw nine interceptions in the first five games, ranked 27th in QBR with a 34. 1 rating, and missed two contests due to injury. He also faced significant protection issues, being sacked 55 times and pressured 194 times.
The season’s wider failures contributed to the ultimate decision. The team finished with one of the worst records in franchise history at 3-14, prompting the dismissal of the head coach. The offensive coordinator was fired after Week 11, and key personnel were affected by injury, including a tight end who suffered a knee injury in the first half of the season. The general manager has acknowledged that responsibility for the season’s outcome does not rest solely on the quarterback and that the organization could have done more to put him in a better position to succeed.
Cap mechanics, legacy contract details and roster implications
Smith signed a two-year, $75 million extension that followed his trade to the Raiders for a third-round draft pick. He earned $40 million during the last season, all guaranteed. Cutting him now yields short-term cap relief of roughly $8 million while creating a $18. 5 million dead-cap charge. The timing of the move also avoids an additional $8. 5 million in guarantees that would have become payable if the team waited beyond a specified day in the league calendar.
With those cap mechanics in play, the Raiders will have clearer flexibility to pursue veterans to bridge the gap at quarterback and to support the incoming rookie. The front office’s likely plan is to construct a competition between a veteran signing, Fernando Mendoza, and Aidan O'Connell rather than anointing an immediate starter.
Uncertainties remain and details may evolve as teams continue to finalize roster and contract moves ahead of the new league year. The coming days should clarify whether Geno Smith is traded before his release becomes final and which veteran quarterbacks the Raiders pursue to compete with Fernando Mendoza.
