Seahawks fans are already doing victory laps after Geno Smith interception in Raiders OTA

USA Today

28-05-2025

Seahawks fans are already doing victory laps after Geno Smith interception in Raiders OTA
There is premature celebration and there's seriously premature celebration. This would be the latter kind.
This offseason the Raiders and Seahawks made a deal. The Raiders got Geno Smith from the Seahawks in exchange for a late third round pick (92 overall). In so doing, Pete Carroll was reunited with Smith who had been in his system for five years and his full time starting QB for the final two, making the Pro Bowl in both seasons.
From the outset, this looked like a great deal for the Raiders, while the Seahawks got something in return for a QB who had made it clear he wasn't interested in the deal they offered him had too many "escape hatches" in it. In other words, it was one-sided.
So, while the fans love to make excuses for team brass by saying the player left because they 'didn't want to be here' (Raiders fans might remember the likes of Reggie McKenzie and Jon Gruden both using that line after palyers didn't accept their lowballing offers), the actual truth lies in the details.
Contracts are only as good as the guarantees in them. And with Geno Smith, the Seahawks were hedging their bets. Smith naturally saw that as disrespect, not to mention a complete lack fo job security, and wanted out.
It just so happened his former coach who elevated him back to starter and Comeback Player of the Year, had just returned to the NFL with the Raiders.
So, anyway, those same fans who like to tow the company line about players wanting out despite the organization supposedly meeting all their contract demands, are already trying to claim victory...in May.
You see, Geno Smith threw an interception in his first OTA session visible to the media. It went to fellow new Raider safety Jeremy Chinn. And apparently that seals it; the Seahawks were right and got one over on the Raiders. At least according to the FanSided Seahawks site "12th Man Rising".
The headline reads...
"It took Geno Smith one pass in OTAs to prove the Seahawks right"
With the subhead reading "Seattle is better off."
Now, I don't usually put too much weight into what a fan site has to say. And I'm not really doing that now. And this is clearly a clickbait headline at its worst. But I just couldn't let it be.
Do Seattle fans really think team brass puts any stock in an interception in an OTA practice?
I'm imagining John Schneider in his office. His phone rings. He picks it up "this is John." Then his eyes widen as the voice on the other end of the phone delivers the news. It's a quick conversation. He hangs up and bounces out of his chair, flying around his desk so fast, papers fly onto the floor. He grabs the doorframe so he can take the corner into the hallway. He yells on his way down the hallway, everyone meet me in the cafeteria, I have an announcement!
When he arrives in the cafeteria, a few front office personnel are already in there, others come in quickly to hear the urgent news. "Everyone pile in," Schneider says as he climbs on a chair. "Can everyone see me?" to a smattering of affirmation.
"In his first OTA practice with the Raiders, Geno Smith...threw...an...INTERCEPTION!"
The room erupts in cheers, high fives, chest bumps and exclamations of "We did it!" with one exec turning to another to yell "I told you, man!" as they embraced in full agreement.
Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, John Spytek is inconsolable. Mark Davis is furious. And Pete Carroll is a shell of himself, wandering the halls wondering what the point is of even having the rest of the offseason and training camp, let alone playing actual games. They have decisively been proven wrong for making this trade. It's devastating. And let's not even talk about the team morale. Suffice to say it's in shambles.
What a completely plausible, nay, extremely likely scenario.
To my surprise, the Raiders have opted to push on and continue their OTA practices this week. The next media attended practice is Thursday. Not sure there will be much reporting, though. I mean, what's even the point, really.