Quarterback Geno Smith on Monday addressed the circumstances that led to his departure from the Seattle Seahawks.
Smith was introduced as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, but the topic of his abrupt exit from Seattle came up during his introductory press conference. The veteran quarterback made clear that he held no ill will toward anyone in the Seahawks organization, and that the breakdown in contract talks between the two sides was “just business.”
“It was just business and that’s the way things work in the NFL,” Smith said. “There are no hard feelings with anyone there. I have a lot of love for everybody there, really.”
Smith says in introductory press conference of the way things ended in Seattle that "It was just business and that’s the way things work in the NFL. There are no hard feelings with anyone there. I have a lot of love for everybody there really.'' https://t.co/pl60I01ylP
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) April 7, 2025
Smith may not harbor any hard feelings, but he certainly wanted out of Seattle when he was not offered the contract he was looking for. One report suggested that Smith barely even negotiated with the Seahawks after the team presented its initial contract offer. In contrast, the Raiders were more than willing to pay Smith what he wanted.
It does appear that Smith did not leave Seattle for football reasons. Money intervened, and both sides got what they wanted. Smith got his new deal from the Raiders, while the Seahawks were able to bring in Sam Darnold to start for them instead.
The 34-year-old Smith threw for 4,320 yards for Seattle last season with 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. The Raiders are hoping he will provide some stability at the quarterback position that the team has not had since Derek Carr’s departure after the 2022 season.
