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Las Vegas Raiders QB Geno Smith.
The Minnesota Vikings will have at their disposal a number of expensive and/or risky propositions at quarterback this offseason that might represent big cuts at the position to replace or challenge JJ McCarthy, but few have home run power — so a slap single or a stand-up double might be the play for the franchise yet again in 2026.
As much as head coach Kevin O’Connell may want, in his heart of hearts, for the team to take another risky run at a signal-caller to give him someone to with high-ceiling potential to mold, that player may simply not be there in the coming weeks.
Kyler Murray has a case, but he’s an expensive and injury-prone player who is also going to cost at least a first-round pick in trade. Mac Jones has proven upside, but it isn’t without its limits, and he already washed out once with the New England Patriots. Not to mention, he could cost upwards of a second-round pick after starting and finishing last season as a backup with the San Francisco 49ers.
Anthony Richardson has hypothetically herculean upside but is on the precipice of utter failure at his first NFL stop after the Indianapolis Colts made him the No. 4 overall pick in 2023.
If the front office is willing to afford O’Connell patience, along with another year to develop McCarthy without the threat of a quick firing hanging over his head like guillotine, then a moderate move on a young player like Tanner McKee of the Philadelphia Eagles (likely a third-round value) and a one-year deal for a veteran would at least give the coach three bites at the apple.
And while media has linked several vets to Minnesota in recent days, one name not getting much traction who perhaps should be is Geno Smith.
Raiders Appear Certain to Move on From Geno Smith in Coming Weeks
GettyLas Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith.
The Las Vegas Raiders own the No. 1 pick, which they are a near lock to use on Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza. That franchise wanted Mendoza so much that it mortgaged its relationship with Maxx Crosby to get him, sitting the star pass-rusher the final two games of the year to guarantee a 3-14 mark and the top selection come April.
Smith inked a two-year contract extension worth $75 million after the Raiders traded a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for him last offseason, but the head coach who orchestrated that move, and had longtime ties to Smith, is already out of the job.
Thus, Smith is a strong cut candidate in the desert come next month. And at 35 years old, the two-time Pro Bowler still has some juice and is going to be hungry for a chance to prove himself in a better situation.
The Vikings can offer him that, without offering him the starting job. And considering the money Smith has made since his resurgence began in Seattle in 2022 (two $75 million deals) combined with his market after a league-leading 17-interception season in 2025, Smith is liable to jump at the chance to play for O’Connell and with Justin Jefferson in what is likely to be the final chapter of his career as an NFL starter.
Vikings Can Sign Geno Smith at Value, Fold Him Into 3-Pronged Approach at QB
GettyLas Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith.
Matt Okada of NFL.com dubbed Smith as a “notable AFC cut candidate” on Monday, February 16.
“Cutting Smith only results in $8 million in cap savings while sinking $18.5 million in dead money, but unless new head coach Klint Kubiak sees him as a worthy bridge quarterback to … Mendoza, any juice would be worth the squeeze in Las Vegas,” Okado wrote. “Pete Carroll is gone and I’d be very surprised if his hand-picked quarterback of the past is not soon to follow.”
If the Vikings can acquire Smith for a reasonable one-year contract, perhaps in the range of the $10 million they paid Sam Darnold two years ago, along with McKee for a third-round pick and pair the two with McCarthy, O’Connell and company should at least feel reasonably confident in a competitive QB room heading into training camp.
And if none of the three works out, the Vikings can always clean the board and start fresh next spring, at which point, however, considerably more pressure will likely have heaped itself upon O’Connell’s shoulders.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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