Who Should I Start? Geno Smith or Anthony Richardson Sr.

Wednesday, December 31, 3:41 PM

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said that quarterback Geno Smith (ankle) will not play on Sunday against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs in the Week 18 regular-season finale, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. "I hate closing the door on any opportunity, but it's going to be really hard for him," Carroll said. Smith suffered a serious ankle injury in the Week 17 loss to the New York Giants and won't suit up for a meaningless contest to close out the regular season. With the 35-year-old veteran wrapping up a brutal first year in the desert, backup Kenny Pickett is expected to start this weekend. Aidan O'Connell could also end up splitting time with Pickett against KC. Smith was one of the worst starting QBs in football in 2025, completing 67.4% of his 448 pass attempts for 3,205 yards, 19 touchdowns, and a league-leading 17 interceptions in 15 starts.

Wednesday, December 31, 12:30 PM

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said on Wednesday that the team will not activate quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (eye) from Injured Reserve for the final week of the regular season, according to Jake Arthur of Sports Illustrated. Richardson is still dealing with vision limitations and will not play in the Week 18 regular-season finale this weekend against the division-rival Houston Texans. With the Colts officially eliminated from the playoffs, they will sit veteran Philip Rivers in favor of rookie Riley Leonard to close things out with an eye toward the future. A-Rich suffered a fractured orbital bone on Oct. 12 in a freak pre-game incident. The 23-year-old former first-rounder had returned to practice in recent weeks, but he didn't make enough progress to be a realistic starting option for Indy. Richardson appeared in just two games in 2025, and his future with the Colts is very much up in the air.