Jets Reacquire Quarterback Geno Smith In Trade With Las Vegas Raiders

The New York Jets re‑acquired quarterback Geno Smith from the Las Vegas Raiders in a trade on Tuesday that reunites Smith with the team where he began his NFL career.

ESPN reported that “After a nine-year separation, the New York Jets and quarterback Geno Smith are together again,” and that “The Jets are sending a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for Smith and a 2026 seventh-rounder, sources told Schefter.”

ESPN

The Globe and Mail similarly noted that “Quarterback Geno Smith is returning to where his career started after the New York Jets acquired him in a trade with Las Vegas,” and described the deal as a late‑round swap that brings Smith back to the Jets’ facility.

The trade was executed rather than waiting for Las Vegas to release Smith, and the quarterback was already at the Jets’ facility and cleared his physical.

ESPN reported that Smith “was in the Jets' facility Tuesday morning and passed a physical, a source said,” and that the Jets plan for him to be their starting quarterback.

The Globe and Mail

The Globe and Mail explained Las Vegas could have released Smith — their starter for a 3–14 team last season — but instead “worked out a swap of late-round selections with the Jets, who get a seventh-rounder while giving up a sixth-round choice.”

The move carries personal resonance: ESPN quoted Smith summing it up as a “Complete full circle moment back to where it all began,"

ESPN reminded readers that Smith previously held the Jets’ starting job from 2013 until the 2015 preseason, when an off-field locker-room incident left him with a fractured jaw.

The Globe and Mail added that the trade reunites the Jets with “their second-round pick from 2013,” tying the roster move to the origins of Smith’s NFL career.

Reports also noted contractual and roster context around the move: The Globe and Mail cited ESPN reporting that the Jets and the “35-year-old Smith agreed on a renegotiated contract, which had two years and US$66-million remaining,”

The Globe and Mail noted the Raiders had been the starter for a team that finished 3–14 last season.

The Globe and Mail

ESPN’s coverage of the trade emphasized the transactional details and the immediate plan for Smith to start, placing the deal within the broader NFL offseason mechanics of trades and roster reshuffling.