Who Should I Start? Geno Smith or Tyler Shough

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, January 7, 12:14 PM

When asked if Tyler Shough is the team's starting quarterback going forward in 2026, New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore said, "Yeah, we feel great about Tyler." Shough continued to get better in his first NFL season and went 23-for-35 passing for 259 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the regular-season finale against the Atlanta Falcons, adding 34 rushing yards and another score on the ground. The 26-year-old second-rounder out of Louisville completed 67.6% of his 327 pass attempts in 11 games played (nine starts) for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Shough added 45 carries for another 186 rushing yards and three touchdowns. At the very least, Shough cemented himself as New Orleans' starting QB going into the 2026 season, and he should profile as a solid QB2 in superflex leagues and a nice backup with upside in single-QB formats.