Who Should I Start? Tom Brady or Geno Smith

Monday, January 13, 7:41 PM

As recently as last week, there was a feeling inside the Las Vegas Raiders' team headquarters that owner Mark Davis would give head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco another year to figure things out after a 4-13 finish in 2024. However, seven-time Super Bowl-champion Tom Brady, who purchased 5% of the team last October, felt a total reset was needed and persuaded Davis to fire both Pierce and Telesco. "This is Tom's show now," a person with knowledge of the situation said. Davis will make the final call on decisions for the franchise, but Davis wants Brady to have a "huge" voice and has a lot of trust in him. By firing Telesco, the Raiders have made the head-coach job more attractive to potential coaches, and the Raiders are willing to consider a package deal if their top coaching candidates have preferred front-office leaders in mind.

Friday, November 7, 12:34 AM

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (quad) was diagnosed with a quad contusion following Thursday's Week 10 loss against the Denver Broncos, head coach Pete Carroll told members of the media, including NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. Smith briefly exited the game early in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Kenny Pickett, who attempted one pass. The veteran quarterback returned to the game, then left again with a "questionable" designation in the final minutes. Las Vegas did not get the ball back, and it's unclear whether Smith or Pickett would have earned snaps if the Raiders' offense returned to the field. The 35-year-old completed 16 of 26 passes for 143 yards and his league-leading 12th interception of the season. He also took six sacks. It remains to be seen whether Smith will play in Week 11. On a positive note, playing on Thursday night gives him a full 11 days to rest and recover before the Raiders return to action against Dallas.