Geno Smith: ‘Let ‘Em Sleep on the Raiders. We’re Working within the Shadows’

Following a Week 1 win within the 2022 NFL season, then-Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith responded to a query about being “written off” by saying that he did not “write again.” Smith has now delivered one other banger of a one-liner about his new group, that being the Las Vegas Raiders.

“I imagine that the sport will get settled between the white traces on recreation day. From my vantage level, we bought a very, actually good group. I do not know if we’ll shock anybody inside this constructing, however possibly shock some outsiders. But it surely’s good. Let ‘em sleep. I don’t need them to see us coming. We’re simply working within the shadows proper now, getting our recreation proper and when it is time to go beneath these vivid lights, I believe we’ll be prepared,” Smith mentioned in an look on NFL Community on Monday.

Smith was an important component to a pivotal offseason for the Raiders, which additionally noticed them rent a brand new basic supervisor in John Spytek and a brand new head coach in former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. Later buying Smith from Seattle for a third-round draft decide, Las Vegas reunited Carroll together with his former quarterback. Smith and the Raiders later agreed to a two-year, $75 million extension.

Final season (2024), Smith totaled 4,320 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a 93.2 passer ranking, whereas finishing 70.4% of his passes. He additionally rushed for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Smith ranked twelfth amongst quarterbacks with an 83.1 general grade, in line with Professional Soccer Focus.

Throughout his three years as Seattle’s beginning quarterback (2022-24), Smith averaged 4,075.3 passing yards, 23.7 passing touchdowns, 11.7 interceptions and a 95.5 passer ranking per season, whereas finishing 68.5% of his passes. He was a Professional Bowler in every of the primary two seasons, with Carroll and the Seahawks parting methods after the 2023 season. Smith had beforehand backed up Russell Wilson from 2019-21, which was preceded by a four-year stint with the New York Jets (2013-16) and one-year stints with the New York Giants (2017) and Los Angeles Chargers (2018).

As for the perceived doubt surrounding the Raiders’ 2025 prospects, their division (AFC West) contains three groups that made the playoffs final season; the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have received three of the previous six Tremendous Bowls and received the AFC in 5 of the previous six seasons, together with in 2024, whereas the Chargers and Denver Broncos every received double-digit video games and earned a wild-card berth final season. The Raiders completed 4-13.

As for the remainder of the Raiders’ offseason, they chose Boise State operating again and 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 decide within the 2025 NFL Draft, whereas including security Jeremy Chinn, defensive finish Malcolm Koonce, linebacker Elandon Roberts and operating again Raheem Mostert, amongst different signings.

Satirically, Smith and the Raiders open the 2025 preseason on the highway in opposition to the Seahawks on Thursday.

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