Getty
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders appear likely to take former Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Nonetheless, the next question will be what the Raiders do with veteran QB Geno Smith.
If the Raiders decide to let Mendoza sit for a few games to ensure that when he takes the NFL field, he’s ready, could Smith be that stopgap between Week 1 until whenever Las Vegas feel that Mendoza can take over as QB1?
However, there’s also the possibility that the Silver and Black decide to part ways with Smith, likely cutting him and letting the veteran find another team. In contrast, the Raiders find another potential stopgap QB if they don’t want to have Mendoza as their starter for Week 1.
As for Smith, his name was floated as a potential QB target for the Minnesota Vikings, who are reportedly looking for a signal-caller to challenge J.J. McCarthy. Alec Lewis of The Athletic shared five names the Vikings could be looking at to bring one in and compete with McCarthy.
“Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, Geno Smith, Jimmy Garoppolo, bringing back Kirk Cousins,” Lewis told KARE 11 News in a video posted on Feb. 6 about the names that could be QB targets for the Vikings this offseason. “I mean, it is hard to find one of those guys that makes people very optimistic.”
Geno Smith’s Name Floated as Potential Name for the Jets
While this information from the Vikings beat writer is more concrete, it’s not the first time Smith’s name has been floating around the rumor mill should the Raiders decide to cut ties with him.
WFAN’s Tommy Lugauer recently tossed the idea of the New York Jets bringing back Smith as a stopgap QB, as they look to possibly take a shot at Texas Longhorns signal-caller Arch Manning in the 2027 NFL Draft.
“The next quarterback for the Jets is going to be Geno Smith,” Lugauer said in a video posted by WFAN on Jan. 27. “Now, it’s a short‑term answer, and it’s obviously a [reunion] with Geno and the Jets. But after my advanced search and thinking of it differently and viewing it differently, the next quarterback of the Jets is going to be Geno Smith.
“As your veteran, stopgap before you draft the eventual franchise and hopeful savior of this team to finally break the streak that is the longest playoff drought of all four major sports.”
Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty Gets Blunt About Fernando Mendoza
With the Raiders likely starting a new chapter under center as Mendoza eventually takes over as the starting QB, the team’s running back, Ashtony Jeanty, recently shared his thoughts on the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.
“I think his character can fit into any locker room,” Jeanty said about Mendoza. “Just by what I’ve seen, he’s a great guy. He’s humble. Obviously, he’s hardworking. He’s worked his way up to where he’s at now. Nobody knew his name a couple of years ago and now he’s one of the top prospects. The hard work, the dedication, the discipline, the focus is definitely there.”
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
More Heavy on Raiders
Loading more stories
