ClutchPoints
After re-establishing himself as a starting quarterback with the Seattle Seahawks, Geno Smith’s dismal 2025 season might relegate him to backup duties once again. The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback has been setting career-worst marks all season and is now in the same category as the infamous Sam Howell.
Smith took two sacks and threw an interception in the first half of the Raiders’ Week 17 game against the Giants, giving him 53 sacks and 16 interceptions on the year. The only other quarterback to match those numbers in NFL history was Howell in 2023, according to Josh Dubow of The Associated Press.
Howell was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders to back up Taylor Heinicke. The team designated him as its starter the following year to disastrous results, causing the front office to trade him the following offseason. Howell led the interception with 21 interceptions in his lone season as a starter.
Smith is nearing that territory in 2025. He entered Week 17 already leading the league with 15 interceptions before adding another, an errant pass directly to Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke. Smith pairs his 16 interceptions with just 18 touchdowns, ranking 20th in the league.
The Raiders acquired Smith in the offseason after hiring his former head coach, Pete Carroll, to replace Antonio Pierce. Nobody viewed Smith as a top-10 quarterback, but he was supposed to bring stability to the position after two years of subpar play since Derek Carr left in free agency.
Smith has instead been arguably the worst starting quarterback in the league, barely outperforming the inadequate performances Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell have given them since Carr’s departure.
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