Geno Smith: Let them sleep on us, we've got a good team

Geno Smith experienced an unexpected career resurgence with the Seahawks in 2022 and he's trying to lead another one in Las Vegas this year.

The Raiders traded for Smith this offseason to give new head coach Pete Carroll a familiar face at quarterback and the changes didn't stop there. Carroll and new General Manager John Spytek brought in new faces across the roster on offense and defense in an attempt to reset a losing culture around the Raiders.

Those moves were generally met with good reviews, but playing in a division with three 2024 playoff teams and the overall strength of the AFC haven't helped the Raiders become fashionable choices for a leap back into the playoff mix. During an appearance on NFL Network, Smith said that is just fine with him.

"I'm always the guy that I believe the game gets settled between the white lines on game day," Smith said. "But from my vantage point, we've got a really, really good team. I don't know if we'll shock anyone inside of this building, but maybe shock some outsiders. But it's good, like let them sleep. I don't want them to see us coming. We're just working in the shadows right now, getting our game right, and when it's time to go in those bright lights, I think we'll be ready."

The makeup of the division and conference mean the Raiders could be much improved in 2025 without much to show for it in the standings, but, as Smith noted, the proof will come on the field and the quarterback is confident his team will answer the bell when it rings.