Pete Carroll once again shoulders blame for Geno Smith's Raiders struggles

The New York Jets were on the hunt for a veteran quarterback this offseason to help stabilize their offense, and they found their guy in a familiar face-- Geno Smith. The team's former 2013 draft pick made his return to New York after 10 years apart from one another.

It was a fairly cheap acquisition, as general manager Darren Mougey only needed to send out a 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for Smith and a 2027 seventh-round pick for the veteran signal-caller's services. But there's a reason why it was so inexpensive.

Smith was one of the NFL's worst starting quarterbacks in 2025. He completed 67.4% of his passes for 19 touchdowns and a career-high 17 interceptions, boasting a 34.1 QBR. The Raiders were 2-13 in his 15 starts and ended up with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

While Smith's season was absolutely horrendous, there's reason to believe he's due for a bounce-back with the Jets in 2026. But don't take it from me; take it from his head coach, Pete Carroll, who believes he set his quarterback up for failure in Las Vegas.

Pete Carroll takes blame for New York Jets QB Geno Smith's struggles in 2025

In an interview with the New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy, Carroll shouldered the blame for Smith's struggles with the Raiders last season and believes his former quarterback is primed for a comeback season in New York.

"It was not his fault with the Raiders, either. We weren’t good enough, and we didn’t prepare him well enough for the rigors of the season. His talent showed."

In fairness to Smith, the Raiders were one of the worst teams in the league last season for a reason. Not only did their entire coaching staff get fired after their first season on the job, but they also had one of the worst supporting casts a quarterback could work with.

Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who made his first return to the pros since 2016, was horrendous as the play caller and was fired in November after a 2-9 start. His best wide receiver? Jakobi Meyers, who was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars just before the trade deadline.

And that's not even to mention the offensive line, which allowed Smith to be pressured on 40.5% of his dropbacks, per Jets X Factor.

The Jets, at minimum, will be offering their new quarterback a much-improved supporting cast, and it should lead to a return to form for the former Pro Bowler.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow