The 2025 season did not go well for quarterback Geno Smith.
But he is set for a fresh start with the Jets, coming back to the team that drafted him after a decade elsewhere in the league.
His new offensive coordinator, Frank Reich, is also back in the pros after his last coaching stint with the Panthers lasted just 12 weeks.
On Wednesday, Reich noted that Smith is a “perfect” fit for his offensive scheme.
“I’ve liked Geno from Day 1,” Reich said in his press conference, via transcript from the team. “When he was coming out of West Virginia, I had a high grade on Geno. I had not met Geno before here, and I’m kind of glad because I’m even more impressed with him, now meeting him in person. I feel his resilience, his toughness, I always think the No. 1 attribute in any quarterback that you need, especially if you want to come and turn something around, is you need someone who’s tough. I mean tough mentally, tough physically, and I feel that from Geno on every front.
“I think his experience, the ups and downs that he’s been through, and he’s had great success, and had to deal with some tough seasons, and if you play in this league long enough, everyone’s going to face that. And if you are the person, if you’re the right kind of leader, then you come out of it better, and I think that’s the version of Geno Smith we’re getting. We’re getting the best version of who he is, and I think his best football’s ahead of him.”
From 2021-2024, Smith started 52 games for Seattle, leading the club to a 28-24 record while completing 68.5 percent of his passes for 12,928 yards with 76 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. If Smith is better than that, then the Jets will be in a much better position to have success in 2026.
Raiders Clips
The biggest story in the opening days of the 2026 league year was the Ravens’ decision to pull out of a trade for Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and the fallout from that move went beyond Baltimore and Las Vegas.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht shed some light on how Tampa was impacted by the deal. The Bucs took edge rusher Rueben Bain with the 15th overall pick, but Licht thinks things would have played out differently had the trade gone through.
The Raiders would have landed the 14th pick and pass rusher would have been an obvious need for General Manager John Spytek in a post-Crosby world, but the pick remained in Baltimore. Spytek had also agreed to sign former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum during the period when the trade was set to go through, which meant that the Ravens had an acute need on their offensive line at No. 14. They didn’t have as big a need for an edge rusher after signing Trey Hendrickson, so guard Vega Ioane became the choice.
“Then I think going back to free agency when, you know, the Raiders-Ravens trade didn’t work out, I think that in some way I’d like to think helped us a little bit. I was a little afraid if the Raiders made that trade, Spytek, he and I are very close, he was taunting me a little bit, hey, we’re sitting right in front of you, I know what you need,” Licht said “And then, you know, Crosby goes back to the Raiders, then the Ravens are sitting there again with their pick, and I know they love their edge rushers, too, so that had me nervous. They took Vega, which is an awesome pick, you know, they need offensive linemen. Maybe the fact that the Raiders signed Linderbaum helped us get Rueben. We’re all trying to help each other out here, especially the people that are good friends, so thanks, Spytek.”
Licht said the Bucs were in on Hendrickson “a little bit” before he agreed to terms with Baltimore, but the way everything came together left them with a “shiny new toy” at the top of the draft.
Another one of Fernando Mendoza’s Indiana teammates will be joining him with the Raiders.
The Raiders announced that they have signed wide receiver Jonathan Brady on Monday. They also signed running back Roman Hemby and wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. as undrafted free agents last week, so there’s now a quartet of Hoosiers on the roster in Las Vegas.
Brady transferred to Indiana in 2025 after playing at New Mexico State and Cal. He caught 14 passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns in his lone season in Bloomington. He also averaged 16.5 yards on punt returns and returned one punt for a touchdown.
The Raiders placed wide receiver Justin Shorter on injured reserve in a corresponding move. He appeared in 17 games the last two seasons and saw most of his action on special teams.
Defensive end Charles Snowden started 18 games for the Raiders the last two seasons, but he’s not in new head coach Klint Kubiak’s plans for 2026.
The Raiders announced that they waived Snowden over the weekend. Snowden played 31 games overall for Las Vegas and recorded 67 tackles, 4.5 sacks and an interception during his time with the team.
Snowden was one of four players that the Raiders cut loose to make space for players who earned roster spots during tryouts at the team’s rookie minicamp. Guard McClendon Curtis, tight end Matt Lauter, and guard Layden Robinson were also dropped.
Safety Devyn Perkins, offensive tackle Niklas Henning, tight end Patrick Gurd, and offensive tackle Kamar Missouri are the new additions for the Raiders.
He was the eleventh overall pick in the draft. As of Friday, however, Cowboys safety Caleb Downs had the top-selling jersey among all rookies.
Fanatics has announced, via Fox Sports, the ten best-selling rookie jerseys in the wake of the 2026 draft. Downs leads the way.
Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, lands at No. 5. That’s one spot behind Steelers rookie quarterback Drew Allar, a third-round pick, who sits at No. 4.
Here’s the full top ten: (1) Downs; (2) Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez; (3) Cowboys linebacker Malachi Lawrence; (4) Allar; (5) Mendoza; (6) Dolphins cornerback Chris Johnson; (7) Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love; (8) Patriots offensive lineman Caleb Lomu; (9) Bears safety Dillon Thieneman; (10) Jets linebacker David Bailey.
The presence of two Cowboys defensive players in the top three and two Dolphins defensive players in the top six could be a reflection of the overall optimism the fans of those teams are currently feeling. For Dallas, the offense is among the best in the league; it won’t take much defensive improvement to make the team a contender. As to the Dolphins, it’s a new era with the hiring of G.M. Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley.
It’s somewhat surprising that none of the four receivers taken in the first round made the list. And the absence of Rams quarterback Ty Simpson reflects the reality that he’ll be spending a year (or two, or maybe three) behind Matthew Stafford.
The numbers will surely change once the depth charts are determined for 2026 and, after that, the games are played. The rookies who play and play well will see a spike in jersey sales.
Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza was in the shotgun for almost every snap he took in college. That won’t be the case in the NFL, and when he took the practice field for the first time at rookie minicamp, that was a major adjustment.
“It’s the added footwork. Instead of being back there in shotgun, you really have to get back to make sure you get depth,” Mendoza said. “Still be on time, still decipher the defense. And with that, it’s really having an emphasis on those first two steps, on securing the snap and getting out out of there and powerful with having quick feet.”
Mendoza said he has heard plenty about making that adjustment from head coach Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko and quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan.
“I think it’s going to be that repetition under center, getting those quicker feet, and just you can always be faster faster and more efficient in your reads and decisiveness,” Mendoza said.
Offensive lineman Trey Zuhn has been snapping to Mendoza at rookie minicamp. Zuhn, a third-round pick from Texas A&M, can play anywhere on the offensive line and will likely be a guard in the regular season, with free agent acquisition Tyler Linderbaum locked in as the starting center. For now, Zuhn is getting a lot of work at center, and he’s more accustomed to the shotgun, too.
“We didn’t do very much under center at A&M, either, so it’s been great getting those extra reps,” Zuhn said.
It’s a common adjustment that rookie quarterbacks have to make, as many college offenses operate almost exclusively in the shotgun, while every NFL team still expects its quarterbacks to take some snaps from under center. And it’s a top priority for Mendoza now.
Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, is passing on a chance to accompany his former teammates to the White House.
Indiana will take the customary visit to Washington, D.C., on May 11.
The Heisman Trophy winner was asked whether he would take the trip, and his answer incorrectly stated that as the start of the Raiders’ organized team activities. Their OTAs actually begin a week later, on May 18.
“I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here. I’ve got to prove myself,” Mendoza told reporters Saturday. “I can’t miss practice. I don’t have the calendar, but as a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look. I want to try to best serve my teammates, and I don’t know if that’d be accomplishing that goal.”
After all the hoopla following a Heisman, a national championship and becoming the top pick, Mendoza was eager to get back to it. All eyes were on him as he worked with some of his new teammates at the team’s rookie minicamp this weekend.
“Out of all those great milestones, I’m really happy about these past two days, because it’s back to football,” Mendoza said, via Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Fernando Mendoza won’t be the only rookie at Raiders practices this offseason.
The team announced the signing of undrafted free agent Jacob Clark on Friday. He was 247-of-376 for 3,244 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions at Missouri State during the 2025 season.
The Raiders also added a couple of Mendoza’s teammates from Indiana. Running back Roman Hemby and wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. are also part of the undrafted rookie group in Vegas. Williams had 36 catches for 438 yards and six touchdowns for the Hoosiers last year.
Penn State long snapper Tyler Duzansky, BYU tackle Isaiah Jatta, Troy safety Devin Lafayette, Boise State tight end Matt Lauter, Hawaii kicker Kansei Matsuzawa, Kennesaw State cornerback Caleb Offord, Duke guard Justin Pickett, BYU wide receiver Chase Roberts, Arkansas State wide receiver Corey Rucker, N.C. State defensive end Cian Slone, UCLA defensive tackle Gary Smith III, Arkansas linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr., Maine linebacker Chris Thomas, and BYU safety Tanner Wall also signed with the Raiders.
The Raiders announced the signing of two more draft picks, putting seven of their 10 selections under contract. Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, remains one of the three players unsigned.
The Raiders signed third-round offensive guard Trey Zuhn III and seventh-round defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland.
Zuhn III played five seasons at Texas A&M, seeing action in 54 games with 50 starts over his collegiate career. In 2025, he earned All-SEC first-team honors and was co-winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the top SEC offensive lineman after starting all 13 games, including 11 starts at left tackle and two starts at center.
Cleveland spent all four seasons at North Carolina State and played 45 career games with 26 starts. He finished with 107 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, one pass defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Cleveland appeared in every game for the Wolfpack over his past three seasons, including 13 games in 2025, totaling 36 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks.
The Raiders earlier signed second-round safety Treydan Stukes, fourth-round running back Mike Washington Jr., fifth-round safety Dalton Johnson, fifth-round cornerback Hezekiah Masses and sixth-round wide receiver Malik Benson.
The Raiders have signed five of their 10 draft picks, the team announced Thursday.
The signees include second-round safety Treydan Stukes.
Stukes appeared in 52 games over six seasons at Arizona and recorded 206 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, a sack, seven interceptions and 35 passes defensed.
The Raiders also signed fourth-round running back Mike Washington Jr., fifth-round safety Dalton Johnson, fifth-round cornerback Hezekiah Masses and sixth-round wide receiver Malik Benson.
Washington played his final college season at Arkansas after one season at New Mexico State (2024) and three years at Buffalo (2021-23). In his career, he registered 587 rushing attempts for 2,914 yards and 26 touchdowns in addition to 73 receptions for 470 yards and three scores.
Johnson played five seasons at Arizona, appearing in 50 games and totaling 286 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, five interceptions, 10 passes defensed and seven forced fumbles.
Masses played three seasons at Florida International before transferring to California for his senior season. He appeared in 49 games over his college career, totaling 152 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, seven interceptions , 25 passes defensed, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
Benson began his collegiate career at Hutchinson Community College (2021-22) before transferring to Alabama (2023) for one season, Florida State for one season (2024) and then to Oregon for his final season (2025). He played 41 career games over his final three seasons and finished with 81 receptions for 1,192 yards and eight receiving touchdowns.
