In the final analysis, the contract quarterback Geno Smith signed with the Raiders isn't much better than the contract his replacement in Seattle, quarterback Sam Darnold, signed with the Seahawks.
Smith presumably could have gotten that same deal, or something close to it, if he'd stayed in Seattle. However, there was another wrinkle at play.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Smith wanted to reunite with coach Pete Carroll.
That doesn't mean Smith deliberately overshot in his contract negotiations with the Seahawks with the hope of being traded to Las Vegas. But it was part of the overall thought process for Smith.
And it worked.
The guarantee structure helped, too. The Seahawks typically guarantee only the first year of a deal. For Darnold, that was and is $37.5 million. For Smith, it was and is $58.5 million.
Still, Smith wanted to work again with the coach who presided over Smith finally becoming a clear-cut QB1. Whether it means they'll be together for one year or two years or three years or longer remains to be seen. But Smith got more security in Las Vegas than he would have gotten in Seattle.
