🔥 HOT NEWS: $26 million financial reality complicates Raiders’ QB reboot ⚡.DH

Raiders fans want a clean break.
Instead, they just got a reminder that nothing in the NFL is that simple.

---

Raiders Shock Fans by Keeping Geno Smith in the Quarterback Conversation

If Las Vegas Raiders fans had their way, the future would already be decided.

New head coach.
New era.
New franchise quarterback drafted No. 1 overall.

But Klint Kubiak just made one thing clear at the NFL Scouting Combine: this isn’t a fairy tale reboot.

It’s a business.

And Geno Smith is still very much part of the conversation.

“Looking at all options right now,” Kubiak told reporters. “We’re just kind of putting it all on the table… He’s definitely one of those options we’re considering.”

That sentence alone is enough to make a segment of the fanbase groan.

Because while excitement builds around the expectation that the Raiders will draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the top pick in April, Kubiak is refusing to lock himself into a single path.

And that’s intentional.

The Money Factor No One Can Ignore

This isn’t just about football philosophy. It’s about finances.

The Raiders owe Geno Smith $18 million this year whether he plays or not. On top of that, an additional $8 million in guaranteed injury-protection money is set to kick in next month.

Cutting him doesn’t magically free up space. Keeping him at least preserves flexibility.

In other words: the Raiders are already paying him.

That changes the equation.

The Rookie Reality Check

Kubiak just won a Super Bowl in Seattle. He knows firsthand how fragile quarterback development can be.

Even if the Raiders draft Mendoza — who has been labeled a “solid NFL starter” prospect — starting a rookie immediately is never risk-free.

A veteran bridge quarterback is often the safer play.

Smith could serve exactly that role: steady, experienced, and familiar with Kubiak’s system from their shared time in Seattle.

And don’t overlook that familiarity. Kubiak saw Smith operate up close. He understands what Geno can and can’t do.

Or Is This Just Leverage?

There’s also another possibility.

By publicly keeping Geno “in the mix,” Kubiak maintains leverage in trade talks and draft positioning. If other teams believe Vegas isn’t desperate for a rookie quarterback, it strengthens the Raiders’ negotiating power.

It’s strategic ambiguity.

And right now, the quarterback market is still forming. Trades, free agency movement, draft positioning — none of it is settled.

The Raiders are waiting.

What This Really Means

This isn’t indecision. It’s caution.

Las Vegas finally has a young, offensive-minded coach with a championship pedigree. Kubiak isn’t going to tie his future to a single plan in February.

He’s surveying every possible avenue.

Geno Smith.
Fernando Mendoza.
Potential trades.
Unexpected draft twists.

Everything is on the table.

Raiders fans want certainty.

Kubiak wants options.

And until draft night arrives, this quarterback saga is going to keep everyone guessing.