After one season with the Raiders, Geno Smith appears to be on his way out of Las Vegas, with the team expected to release him before the start of free agency next week.
Smith could still get traded at some point over the weekend, but if that doesn’t happen, he’ll hit the free agent market, and when he does, he’ll likely have several interested suitors. The 35-year-old struggled with the Raiders last season, but before that he started for three seasons in Seattle and led the Seahawks to a winning record in each of those years.
The two-time Pro Bowler has played for five teams over his 13-year career. So where could he end up next? Let’s take a look at a few possible landing spots.
2026 NFL QB carousel predictions: Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Aaron Rodgers find landing spots
Zachary Pereles
Miami Dolphins
With the Dolphins expected to move on from Tua Tagovailoa, Miami will need a starting quarterback. There’s been some speculation the team might make a play for Malik Willis, but if that doesn’t work out, Smith would make a solid Plan B. Smith was born and raised in Miramar, Florida, which sits less than 10 miles from Hard Rock Stadium, so the chance to return home and play for the Dolphins might be high on his radar.
Yes, the Dolphins are rebuilding, but they still have several offensive weapons in De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle. Smith wouldn’t be a long-term solution in Miami, but he could give the Dolphins time to find their quarterback of the future.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons currently have Michael Penix Jr., but he comes with some serious question marks. For one, he just tore his ACL for the third time in his football career. Then there’s the fact that even when he’s healthy, he hasn’t proven he can play consistently good football.
In 2026, Penix will play for a new coach and a new front office that didn’t draft him, so they may be willing to give the starting quarterback job to someone else. If the Falcons were to sign Smith, that could give them the best of both worlds. If they’re looking to move on from Penix at some point, that decision would be much easier if Smith came in and played well right away. If the Falcons still want to see what they have in Penix, Smith could start the first few weeks of the season until Penix’s knee is fully healthy.
Smith might also be intrigued by the idea of playing for Kevin Stefanski, an offensive-minded coach. There have been six seasons in Smith’s career where he started at least 15 games, and all six came under defensive-minded coaches, so playing for someone like Stefanski might help his game.
Smith has shown the ability to thrive when he has the right weapons, and Atlanta has a loaded offense with Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London.
Minnesota Vikings
As we mentioned with the Falcons, Smith has never started for an offensive-minded coach, so he might love the idea of playing for Kevin O’Connell, who has a reputation as a quarterback whisperer. O’Connell has already helped revive the career of one former Jets draft bust in Sam Darnold, and it’s possible he could do the same for Smith (and just for the record, I’m not saying Darnold and Smith were draft busts — only that they struggled with the Jets).
If the Vikings still want to see what they have in J.J. McCarthy, signing Smith would make some sense. They could have McCarthy compete against a proven veteran in training camp and let the best man win. If McCarthy can’t beat out Smith, the Vikings would know it might be time to move on.
The Vikings have already proved they can win with the right quarterback — they won 14 games with Darnold — and Smith seems like a solid veteran who could come in and help.
If the Vikings can get their quarterback situation figured out, they could be a threat to win the NFC North in 2026. After all, this is a team that won nine games in 2025 with McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer all starting at least two games, and Smith seems like a step up from that trio.
With the right weapons, Smith could return to his Pro Bowl form, and the Vikings have some top-tier receiving options in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. Even if Smith has to compete with McCarthy for the job, that likely wouldn’t bother him since he’d probably feel confident going into that competition.
Arizona Cardinals
With Kyler Murray done in Arizona, the Cardinals will be in the market for a new quarterback this offseason. Jacoby Brissett, who started 12 games last season, is under contract for 2026, so the Cardinals at least have one potential starter on the roster, but new coach Mike LaFleur might prefer to bring in someone else.
LaFleur spent the past three seasons as the Rams’ offensive coordinator, where he worked with one of the NFL’s top pocket passers in Matthew Stafford. That’s not Murray’s playing style, but it is Smith’s, which is why he could fit nicely in Arizona’s new offense.
Smith might also thrive with an Arizona team that features some solid weapons, including Trey McBride, one of the best tight ends in the NFL. The Cardinals also have an impressive receiving duo in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson.
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis just used the transition tag on Daniel Jones, so it’s clear the Colts want him back, but they’ll likely need at least one other quarterback to start games in 2026. Jones had an impressive 2025 season, but it ended painfully in December when he tore his Achilles. That’s one of the most brutal injuries in sports, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he has to miss the first few weeks of the 2026 season.
If that happens, the Colts could call Smith and explain the situation: “Hey, we want you to come in and start the first few games, but we’re going with Jones once he’s healthy.”
If Smith has better options in free agency where he can start long term, he might pass on that scenario. If not, Indy could intrigue him. The Colts have plenty of pieces Smith would probably like: a solid offensive line, one of the best running backs in the NFL in Jonathan Taylor, a strong receiving group led by Michael Pittman, and an impressive young tight end in Tyler Warren.
NOTE: One potential landing spot we didn’t list is the Jets, and that’s because it feels like a bizarre option for Smith. The team originally drafted him in 2013, but it benched him after just two seasons as the starter. The Jets don’t have a great roster, and after experiencing failure once in New York, it doesn’t make much sense for Smith to go through that again.
