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It was a one-and-done season for Geno Smith with the Las Vegas Raiders after a challenging 2025 campaign that led to the firing of Pete Carroll as the team’s head coach.
With the No. 1 pick in their hands, the Raiders decided to trade Smith to the New York Jets and start from scratch regarding their QB situation. The Silver and Black sent Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Jets in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Smith can now put his tenure in Las Vegas behind him and start from scratch for his second stint with the Jets. As a result, Rich Eisen shared realistic expectations for the veteran in New York.
“I appreciate Aaron Glenn saying what he said [about Smith], but what the Jets are trying to do right now is not lose a ton of games like they did last year,” Eisen said in a April 4 video from “The Rich Eisen Show.” “Geno is a really good veteran quarterback when protected, and a really good guy to have in the locker room, being an avatar for what Aaron Glenn is trying to sell…
“If you’re taking Geno Smith, you’re taking Geno to win enough games that you won’t be choosing in the Top 10 for your quarterback. That’s the one problem with Geno, it’s that he’s going to win too many games for you. But you also have an owner who wants to win games.”
Former Raiders QB Rich Gannon Talks Fernando Mendoza
Despite Smith’s departure, Las Vegas will have a veteran QB on the team next season after agreeing to terms with Kirk Cousins. With Las Vegas now having its veteran that can potentially play in front of Fernando Mendoza and mentor him, former Raiders QB Rich Gannon shared his thoughts on the signing.
“I think it makes a lot of sense, and I think you can look into it a number of different ways,“ Gannon said in an April 2 video from the New York Post. “He’s going to be the starter in Week 1. I don’t think we need to get that far. I just think bringing in a quality player and person like Kirk Cousins is important.
“He’s got, you know, 14 years of experience; he’s got 167 starts under his belt. He’s thrown for almost 45,000 yards and almost 300 touchdowns [and] he’s played well for a number of different organizations.”
Kirk Cousins Would Be Good Mentor for Fernando Mendoza
Moreover, Gannon explained why Cousins is the perfect veteran to serve as a mentor to Mendoza, as the rookie QB would learn what it takes to succeed in the NFL.
“I think he’s going to be a great asset to a young Fernando Mendoza,“ Gannon added. “He’s got history with Klint Kubiak and the system. So I think it makes a lot of sense to bring him in. Whether or not he starts Week 1, to me, is irrelevant at this point. I think both will play, but I just think Kirk Cousins is the right person, the right person, a guy with great character and integrity and great leadership skills.
“I think there are some similarities when you look at both players, but I think that quarterback room is off to a really good start when you look at those two. And I’m assuming that we’re going to draft Fernando Mendoza. I was down there last week and had a great conversation with Klint Kubiak. They are really excited about this 2026 season.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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