Despite uncertainty, Smith remains confident, focusing on wins and day-to-day improvement as his Raiders future hangs in the balance.
For some reason, the Las Vegas Raiders are going to start Geno Smith at quarterback for the rest of the season, or at least that's what it seems like.
If Smith is healthy, he will likely start, although Las Vegas doesn't have much choice with the money they spent for him.
Going forward, however, there are serious questions to be asked about whether or not Smith can be the starter in 2026.
While mock drafts have pegged guys such as Oregon QB Dante Moore to the Raiders, Smith remained confident that he would be in Las Vegas, even saying, "I'm expecting to win a lot of games here," Smith said, via Ryan McFadden of ESPN.
Smith also feels a sense of urgency about turning things around, which is at least a promising sign.
"That's what we're pressing towards, and nothing happens in one day [or] one year," Smith said. "We would have loved to win the Super Bowl this year, but that's not our reality right now. The reality is we've got to get better, and we've got to focus on getting better day to day, and anything else outside of that really is nonsense."
Smith is focused on what's ahead also, not on the past.
"That's our record ... There's no assessment to be made," Smith said. "I control what I can control, which is going out there and playing football. If you start looking and thinking about things outside of your control, that's when I think you lose it. You've got to stay focused, and that's what I'm doing."
Smith missed the recent game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and while it was a shutout loss for Las Vegas, head coach Pete Carroll said there was fight, although the box score didn't necessarily reflect that.
Going forward, Smith needs to end the season on a high note. If he doesn't, there is a very real scenario where he finds another team in 2026, or, if nobody is willing to take his contract and the Raiders keep him, he ends up holding a clipboard whole wearing a beanie on the sideline in Las Vegas.
Right now, the Raiders are just focused on finding a way to win any game left on their schedule. It begins in Week 16 against the Houston Texans, then the New York Giants (Toilet Bowl, anyone?) and the Kansas City Chiefs.
So, only time will tell what the Raiders do.