The Las Vegas Raiders are trying to turn around their franchise with Pete Carroll taking over as head coach, John Spytek running things as general manager, and Tom Brady joining the organization as a minority owner. The new leadership also brought in their own quarterback, acquiring Geno Smith in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.
However, with Smith struggling early in the season — with seven interceptions through four games — could we see Las Vegas bench Smith? What other quarterbacks are on the Raiders’ roster if they decide to sit Smith? Let’s take a closer look at Las Vegas’ QB room.
Who Are the Las Vegas Raiders’ Quarterbacks?
As mentioned, the Raiders’ quarterback room has undergone a significant change recently. The franchise made a surprising move by trading a 2025 third-round pick for Smith, who then signed a two-year, $85.5 million extension with the Raiders that includes $66.5 million in guaranteed money. Given this financial committment they have made to Smith, it’s possible they will stick with him despite his recent struggles.
Geno Smith
Smith’s NFL career got off to a rocky start. He started all 16 games as a rookie for the New York Jets, finishing with an 8–8 record but putting up troubling numbers individually, throwing just 12 touchdowns against 21 interceptions in a poor TD-to-INT ratio.
After another disappointing season in 2014, Smith went seven years without another starting opportunity in the league. That changed in 2022, when he became Russell Wilson’s successor in Seattle. Smith signed with the Seahawks in 2020 and spent the following seasons learning the system and working under Carroll.
He’s coming off a solid year with the Seahawks, though it wasn’t enough to get the team into the playoffs. The Raiders are hoping that Smith will get back on the right track, but they certainly didn’t expect him to have a pair of three-interceptions games in the first quarter of the season.
Kenny Pickett
Kenny Pickett was a member of the Cleveland Browns all throughout training camp and the preseason, but he was the odd man out after Joe Flacco won the starting job and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders showed flashes.
The Raiders traded a 2026 fifth-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for Pickett, who spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles and won a Super Bowl as Jalen Hurts’ backup.
Pickett was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he failed to live up to the hype. Through three NFL seasons, Pickett has thrown for 4,765 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions with a 62.4% completion percentage. He has also rushed for 306 yards and five touchdowns.
In recent years, there are plenty of QBs who have bounced around and then realized their full potential once they landed in the right situation, including Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Smith. Could Pickett be the next great NFL QB redemption story in Las Vegas if he gets an opportunity to play?
Jeff Driskel
The Raiders signed the 32-year-old Jeff Driskel after Aidan O’Connell suffered a fractured wrist during the preseason finale. Driskel is a journeyman who has bounced around quite a bit, as the Raiders are his ninth NFL team since 2016 (when he was a sixth-round pick).
Throughout his NFL career, Driskel has totaled 2,394 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions on a 58.6% completion percentage. He also rushed for 417 yards and three touchdowns.
Driskel isn’t a starting-caliber quarterback, but he’s an experienced signal-caller who can help in the QB room and serve as a solid QB3.
Aidan O’Connell
In 2023, the Raiders found themselves in a tough spot when Jimmy Garoppolo was struggling. That’s when Aidan O’Connell, a fourth-round rookie, stepped in and finished the season on a solid note, starting 10 games with a 5–5 record in his first year.
O’Connell’s play made it clear he’s more of a backup than a long-term starting option. And when he fractured his right wrist in the preseason finale, the Raiders responded by trading for Pickett and signing Driskel.
O’Connell has had some rough injury luck early in his career.
Cam Miller
Cam Miller is the rookie in the Raiders’ quarterback room. Las Vegas selected the former North Dakota State QB in the sixth round of this year’s draft and he’s currently a member of the team’s practice squad.
Miller is seen as a project, as he has a high ceiling but he’s quite raw and his fundamentals need work.
Sitting behind a number of veterans and learning while on the practice squad (while also picking the brain of a legend like Brady) could be the perfect setup for his long-term growth.
