Who Should I Start? Geno Smith or Trevor Lawrence

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.

Sunday, January 4, 6:00 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 22 of his 30 pass attempts for 255 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 18 win over the Tennessee Titans. He also rushed for 11 yards and took two sacks. Lawrence put together another terrific outing as the Jaguars cruised to victory, clinching the AFC South title. The former No. 1 pick was pulled from the game early in the fourth quarter so that he could stay healthy for the playoffs, and he handed the reins of the offense to Nick Mullens. Lawrence has been spectacular all season long, especially over the last six weeks. Through his final six regular-season games, he amassed 1,600 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, 149 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, and just one turnover. He's firmly in the mix to be a top-five quarterback in 2026 fantasy drafts.