Pete Caroll spoke about Geno Smith returning to the New York Jets.
In his first interview since getting fired by the Las Vegas Raiders, Pete Carroll was asked about Geno Smith returning to the New York Jets.
The Raiders traded Smith to the Jets, who drafted the QB back in 2013. Carroll has a very close relationship with Smith. The two were on the Seattle Seahawks and Raiders together.
"I love talking about G," Carroll told ESPN. "I think I see him differently than a lot of people see him. I love him and appreciate him differently. He's a phenomenal quarterback, he really is. He had a fantastic offseason and preseason with us, and he comes out in the first game, has a great first game. It was all fitting. It was exactly the right time for us. Then we just faltered and faltered. We didn't do well enough, coaching."
Smith's lone season with the Raiders in 2025 was a catastrophe. He led the league in interceptions with 17 and went just 2-13.
Carroll, though, thinks Smith will rebound next season in New York.
"If he figured out [New York] was a good place for him and he wanted to do it, and he was part of the decision, then I couldn't support him more," Carroll said. "If he saw the reasoning and felt the support and the opportunity, I couldn't be in more favor of it. I love the guy and want the very best for him. He deserves it. He worked really hard to get where he is."
Smith enters next season with 22,168 passing yards, 124 passing touchdowns and 89 career interceptions in the NFL. His starting record is 42-56-0.
In his first stint with the Jets, Smith went 12-18 as a starter. He threw for 5,962 yards, 28 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. It wasn't pretty.
However, Smith is older and wiser now and has proved he can be a good QB. After all, he made the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023 and won the 2022 AP Comeback Player of the Year Award with Seattle.
The Jets have the second overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It will be fascinating to see if they draft a QB after trading for Smith.
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