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The future of Geno Smith with the Las Vegas Raiders remains uncertain as it’s likely that the team will draft former Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
As a result, questions surround Smith and whether he’ll be with the Silver and Black for the 2026 season. There’s the possibility that the Raiders go with Smith as the veteran QB until Mendoza is ready to take over.
However, there’s also the reality that Smith might not be what head coach Klint Kubiak wants in a stopgap signal-caller, and the team could opt for another name. If Las Vegas does cut ties with Smith, NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry shared that the Minnesota Vikings would be willing to sign him.
“I heard that Kyler Murray, not on Minnesota’s radar, really,” Berry said in a video posted by Rotoworld Football on Feb. 28. “Wouldn’t be surprised to see him with the Jets. That’s one that I keep hearing a decent amount, Kyler Murray to the Jets.
“As for Minnesota, I’ve heard a bunch of different things. I’ve heard some people say, ‘They’re interested in seeing about Geno if he gets released.’ Heard maybe a reunion with Kirk Cousins.”
Geno Smith to the Vikings Makes Sense Amid QB Question Marks
Recently, The Athletic’s Derrik Klassen believes that if the Raiders move on from Smith, the Vikings are an ideal spot for him.
Moreover, Klassen stated that if the Las Vegas QB had been on the Vikings this past season, they would have had double-digit wins. As a result, he’s urging the Vikings to consider Smith as a QB option this offseason.
“I’ll hop back on the Geno Smith [to the Vikings],” Klassen said on the Feb. 13 edition of The Athletic Football Show. “[The Vikings are] an 11- win team with Geno Smith. If he’s throwing to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and has that offensive line, which I don’t think is a special offensive line, but is leaps and bounds better than what he was stuck behind in Las Vegas last year.
“Again, I don’t know if it’s going to be superstar level, maybe not even as good as peak Seattle or whatever, but to me it is going to be a tier or two above what J.J. McCarthy was giving you.”
Raiders Urged to Keep Geno Smith as Stopgap QB for 2026
While many Raiders fans would be happy to see Smith leave after one season, ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum believes that he is still the ideal player to serve as a stopgap QB for Las Vegas rather than cutting ties with him.
“I am drafting Fernando Mendoza No. 1,” Tannenbaum said on the Feb. 13 edition of “Get Up” before saying what many Raiders fans will find controversial. “I am not playing him from Day 1. Geno Smith is under contract. He’s the ideal bridge quarterback.
“You just gave up a third-round pick for him… but I think the Raiders are set up ideally at the quarterback position with Geno Smith [and] Fernando Mendoza.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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