Raiders’ Chip Kelly raves about Geno Smith, says his football acumen makes him ‘literally like a second coach’

When the Las Vegas Raiders acquired Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks, they hoped they were getting a quarterback who could usher the team into a new era. As it turns out, they were also getting an extra coach.

The Raiders are in their second weeks of OTAs, and Smith has already made quite the impression on new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. As he’s gotten to know Smith, Kelly says the new Raiders quarterback brings valuable insights to the offense, much like another assistant coach.

“He’s great,” Kelly said, according to ESPN. “Geno is literally like a second coach. When you’re in that room with him and [quarterbacks coach] Greg Olson, there [are] a lot of ideas going around. His football acumen is really off the charts, and it’s impressive to be around him.”

Smith has seen a lot in his 11 NFL seasons. The No. 39 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, Smith didn’t pan out with the New York Jets and didn’t get a chance to be a full-time starter again until his third season with the Seahawks in 2022. Since then, Smith has been named to the Pro Bowl twice.

In his 54 games with the Seahawks, Smith completed 68.5% of his passes for 12,961 yards, 76 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. He added 833 yards and five scores on the ground.

Las Vegas is betting that Smith, between his experience and talent, can help the team recover from a 4-13 mark in 2024. The veteran quarterback will be reunited with former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who helped Smith revitalize his career.