Sportsnaut
The Las Vegas Raiders felt like they struck gold after winning in Week 1, seemingly justifying the decision to hire a 74-year-old head coach in Pete Carroll. It helps that Geno Smith had a 362-yard debut.
Yet, the Raiders have fallen flat since, losing four games in a row, with Smith tossing an NFL-high nine interceptions in the process.
Things have gotten so bad that fans are now starting to doubt whether the Raiders actually have their franchise quarterback on the roster. After all, Smith is already 34, and he’s not thriving as of late.
Recently, ESPN‘s panel of NFL experts, consisting of Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, questioned whether it was time for the Raiders to get a look at backup QB Kenny Pickett. Fowler believes the Raiders are “mildly concerned” about Smith’s play. Meanwhile, Graziano says it’s possible that they would replace him with Pickett at some point during the season.
The Raiders traded a fifth-round pick for Pickett back in August. They immediately entrusted him with their backup QB job after Aidan O’Connell fractured his wrist. With O’Connell still out, Pickett is the only other QB option on the active roster.
They do, however, have sixth-round rookie Cam Miller and veteran Jeff Driskel on their practice squad, but neither should be expected to see the field in Vegas at any point this season.
If the Raiders turn away from Smith, and that’s a big if, it would likely only mean they’re giving Pickett a chance to show what he can do. Yet, such a change may only occur if their record continues to spiral out of control.
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