Geno Smith encountered criticism even after returning to the game following a controversial hit against the Denver Broncos on Thursday. The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback, who endured as many as five sacks in the first half alone, went down awkwardly after a tackle by Nik Bonitto. The play, initially seeming like a routine scramble, resulted in a leg injury for Smith.
Smith was taken to the medical tent, where trainers assessed his condition. He tested his knee on the sideline and performed light jogging during the evaluation. Despite the injury concerns, Smith returned to the field in an attempt to complete the game. At that moment, the Raiders were trailing by just three points.
After the incident, Nik Bonitto remained passive, simply observing Smith's condition. With Smith sidelined, Kenny Pickett stepped in as quarterback. Pickett is currently the only fully healthy QB on the Raiders roster, as Cam Miller remains on the practice squad and Aidan O’Connell is on injured reserve.
The Raiders took a risk by signing Smith this offseason, counting on his veteran presence to bring stability to the offense. However, midway through the season, that strategy has not yielded the desired results. Smith continues to struggle with consistency, and the Raiders held a 2-6 record heading into the game against the Broncos.
“Take Geno Smith out of the game, please.”
The Raiders rolled the dice on Geno Smith this offseason, hoping his veteran presence would stabilize the offense.
Summary: Despite returning from injury to support his team, Geno Smith’s inconsistent play and recent leg injury have intensified scrutiny amid the Raiders’ challenging season.