Geno Smith loves proving doubters wrong, and that’s exactly what he’s planning on doing in his debut season with the Raiders.

“I’m always the guy that I believe the game gets settled between the white lines on game day,” Smith said while appearing on NFL Network’s Inside Training Camp Live at training camp.

“But from my vantage point, we’ve got a really, really good team. I don’t know if we’ll shock anyone inside of this building, but maybe shock some outsiders. But it’s good, like let them sleep. I don’t want them to see us coming. We’re just working in the shadows right now, getting our game right, and when it’s time to go in those bright lights, I think we’ll be ready.”

“Let ’em sleep. I don’t want them to see us coming. We’re working in the shadows.”@GenoSmith3 is confident in his @Raiders team heading into the season. @RapSheet @OmarDRuiz pic.twitter.com/4RWr87PbXS

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 4, 2025

Smith was officially introduced by Las Vegas in early April after being awarded a new contract with the Raiders.

“So excited to get to work. I can’t wait to get to work and see all you guys. We’re prepared to go out there and win. Can’t wait to see all you guys,” said Smith in a video posted by the Raiders on social media.

Smith’s new deal is a two-year extension that’s worth up to $85.5 million and comes with $65.5 million in guaranteed money.

The Raiders traded for Smith after Seattle decided to go in another younger direction and eventually brought in Sam Darnold.

In his final season in Seattle, Smith threw for 4,320 yards while completing 70.4% of his passes. Smith also ran for 272 yards on the ground. He scored 23 total touchdowns to go along with 15 interceptions, his second highest total from a single season after his rookie year with the Jets.

Smith is now reunited with Pete Carroll, who was hired as the Raiders head coach earlier in the offseason. He made his Raiders debut on Thursday night, going 1-for-3 for 15 yards in a brief preseason appearance against his former team.

Before being drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Jets, Smith racked up 11,662 passing yards and 98 touchdowns across three years as the starting quarterback for WVU, including 42 passing touchdowns to just six interceptions during his senior year. He finished his career near the top of most statistical passing categories for the program, leading the Mountaineers to a trio of bowl games and an Orange Bowl win.

A 2013 second round pick of the Jets, Smith washed out of New York after two seasons as the starter, playing sparsely until 2022 when he earned the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award. From there, he caught on with the Seattle Seahawks, enjoying a career renaissance and putting up 71 passing touchdowns and more than 12,000 yards over the past three seasons.

He earned a three year, $75 million contract from the Seahawks ahead of 2023, then added a two year, $75 million extension from Las Vegas after landing there via trade in April 2025.

Find more coverage of Geno Smith at WV Sports Now.