Mountaineers in the Pros
Geno Smith Set a Raiders Franchise Record in His Team Debut
Geno Smith accomplished far more than just picking up his first win as a Raider in their 2025 season opener on Sunday. One game in and Smith has already set a franchise record.
In a back and forth game, Smith and the Raiders beat the New England Patriots 20-13 to open the season 1-0.
Smith threw for 362 yards – the most ever for any Raiders quarterback in a debut – with a pair of touchdowns and a pick. He also ran for 10 yards. As usual, Smith was efficient, completing 70.6% of his passes.
Well connected 🛜#LVvsNE | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/43Woxq0Z4Y
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 7, 2025
Smith even became the first Las Vegas quarterback since 2023 to complete three or more passes of 20 plus yards in the first quarter.
The Raiders traded for Smith after Seattle decided to go in another younger direction, eventually bringing 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’s been doing this now. Geno had a regular game today,” CarrolI said after Sunday’s game. “I don’t think it was a big statement game or anything like that. I just think that’s what he does. And we’ll do better than that. He’s got it in him to do better than that.”
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.
Richard I Lee
September 8, 2025 at 7:12 pm
Geno washed out playing for the Jets???? I think it was the other way around.
As a Connecticut resident who had the awful opportunity to see the Jets on TV week after week. I cringed when I heard that Geno was going to the Jets – one of the worst-managed franchises in the NFL – both in the front office and on the field.
No, Geno didn’t wash out with the Jets. The Jets totally squandered and mismanaged his talent. He got thrown into the fray with no real training or on-field support.
He later went to the pathetic Giants, who gave him no opportunity.
Thank God he somehow found his way to Seattle and a true football coach in Pete Carroll. Geno might never win a Super Bowl or make the Hall of Fame, but at least he finally had to opportunity to show what he could do. He could lay an egg next Sunday, but he certainly has paid his dues and reaped the benefits.