Geno Smith Unlikely To Start This Week, Raiders Turning To Kenny Pickett

According to Ian Rapoport, Raiders QB Geno Smith‘s shoulder injury is expected to keep him out of this week’s game against the Eagles, as he’s not practicing today. 

Rapoport adds Raiders QB Kenny Pickett is expected to get the start in Week 15 against the Eagles, his former team. 

Pickett took over for Smith when he was hurt last week. On the season, he’s completed 10 of 14 pass attempts for 105 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. 

Smith, 35, is a former second-round pick of the Jets back in 2013 out of West Virginia. He played out the final year of his four-year, $5.019 million contract before signing a one-year contract worth $2 million with the Giants in 2017.

Smith signed a one-year deal with the Chargers for the 2018 season before joining the Seahawks in 2019. He returned on one-year deals each of the following three seasons before being named the starter in 2022. 

He signed a three-year extension with the Seahawks worth $105 million in March of 2023. He just finished the second year of his deal and made a base salary of $12.7 million fully guaranteed. 

Smith was in the final year of his deal and set to make a $14.8 million base salary in 2025 when the Seahawks traded him to the Raiders for a third-round pick. He then signed a new two-year, $75 million extension. 

In 2025, Smith has appeared in 13 games for the Raiders and completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,648 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. 

Pickett, 27, the Steelers used the No. 20 overall pick on him in the 2022 draft. He was the 2021 ACC Player of the Year, First Team All-ACC, and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. 

Pickett signed a four-year, $14,067,904 contract that includes a $7,411,203 signing bonus. There is also a fifth-year option for the team to pick up in 2025. Pittsburgh traded him to the Eagles last year. 

The Browns acquired Pickett from the Eagles this offseason but declined his fifth-year option a few months later. He was later traded to the Raiders coming out of the preseason. 

In 2024, Pickett appeared in five games with one start for the Eagles and completed 25 of 42 passes (59.5 percent) for 291 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He added nine carries for 15 yards and a touchdown.