Not much has gone right for the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2025 season.
Entering Week 9, the team is sitting at 2-5 and buried at the bottom of the AFC West. The hope was that the addition of veteran quarterback Geno Smith and head coach Pete Carroll would yield immediate results, but it seems like the team still has plenty of work to do.
It’s worth wondering if the team is beginning to regret giving Smith an extension this offseason. Shortly after trading for the veteran passer, the two parties agreed to a two-year, $75 million extension that keeps him in Las Vegas through the 2027 season.
In 2025, Smith has thrown for 1,417 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Smith is tied with Tua Tagovailoa for the most interceptions in the league, which definitely isn’t what the Raiders were expecting.
Smith’s struggles could have the team trying to figure out a plan for the future. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report believes the team could call the Indianapolis Colts about Anthony Richardson.
Richardson is a former first-round pick who has failed to impress in the NFL. The Florida product battled Daniel Jones for the starting job this offseason, but Jones won, and has the Colts at the top of the league.
Regarding Richardson and the Raiders, Gagnon offered the following:
At this point, it’s pretty obvious Daniel Jones is the Colts’ guy, and equally obvious that Geno Smith is not the guy in Las Vegas. So, it would make sense for the Raiders to bring in a potential reclamation project who could be in the mix for the 2026 starting job.
As far as what the deal could look like, Gagnon suggested the Raiders send cornerback Eric Stokes and a mid-round pick to the Colts.
The Colts need a cornerback desperately as no team other than the Dallas Cowboys has given up more passing yards in 2025. A serviceable corner like Stokes and a mid-round pick could be enough to entice the Colts considering Jones appears to be the quarterback of the future in Indianapolis.
Over parts of three years in the NFL, Richardson has thrown for 2,400 yards with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing just over 50% of his passes. It’s a far cry from what was expected of him, but there’s a chance a change of scenery could work wonders.
In Vegas, Richardson could learn behind Smith until he’s ready to take over. Next offseason, Richardson and Smith could battle for the starting job, and if Richardson is the winner, the team has an out in Smith’s deal after 2026.
