It’s hard to imagine a player having a worse year than Geno Smith. He forced a trade from the Seattle Seahawks to the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason.
He had three really strong years in Seattle, so the hope was that he could take his game to an even further level in Las Vegas. Instead, the team is 2-11, eliminated from playoff contention, and Smith has been bad.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks are tied for the best record in the NFC. The Raiders have stood behind Smith as the starter all season despite his poor play, but that could change in Week 15. The quarterback had to leave the Week 14 matchup against the Denver Broncos early due to a shoulder injury.
Kenny Pickett stepped in and led the Raiders on an impressive scoring drive. Many fans would like to see Pickett leading the offense going forward, regardless of Smith’s status. It might not end up being much of a choice for the Raiders.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Smith is “considered unlikely to start” against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15 and is not currently practicing. That would put Pickett in line to start on Sunday, with Aidan O’Connell serving as his backup.
Pickett Revenge Game?
Pickett starting in Week 15 would make for a fun storyline. He spent last season with the Eagles and even started a game for the team. They decided to trade him to the Cleveland Browns in the offseason before he was later dealt to the Raiders.
Pickett only spent one season in Philadelphia, but he did get a Super Bowl ring out of it. It’s hard to imagine he harbors any ill will toward the franchise. That said, starting against one of his former teams would likely mean more than facing some other team. The Raiders don’t have much going for them right now, so giving Pickett the chance to get revenge against the Eagles would at least make for an interesting storyline.
Pete Carroll Likes What He’s Seen From Pickett
Pickett isn’t some random quarterback. He’s a former first-round pick who was highly touted coming out of college. He hasn’t been able to live up to his draft status, but he hasn’t had much of a chance to play the last two seasons.
Though Pickett has mostly had to take backup reps in practice, head coach Pete Carroll has liked what he’s seen.
“I’ve seen a lot of Kenny in practice,” Carroll said after the Broncos loss. “I always come back to that. He’s active, he’s quick, he’s really athletic, he’s a good thinker, he’s a really clearly competitive guy that gets situational football and knows what’s going on.
“I’ve seen nothing but positive stuff. His mentality – and I’m coaching the hell out of him because I want him to be ready if the opportunity pops – this is exactly how we did it with Geno for years. However long it takes for the opportunity, he’s going to be ready to go.”
At this point of the season, it’s never a bad idea to see what the younger players can do, so why not give Pickett a chance to show that he deserves to be on an NFL roster next season?
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