Who Should I Start? Geno Smith or Brian Hoyer

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.

Friday, March 8, 8:37 PM

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Raiders parted ways with quarterback Brian Hoyer. The journeyman signal-caller has bounced around the league over the year. He's appeared in 79 regular season games, tossing for 10,899 yards and 53 touchdowns (37 picks) off 59.3% passing. He hasn't done much in the last few seasons, and he finished the 2023-24 campaign by throwing for just 231 yards, along with two picks. At any rate, there could be a market for Hoyer, who has established himself as a quality backup during his career. But even if the 38-year-old finds a new team, that doesn't mean he'll draw attention from managers in fantasy drafts heading into the new season.