The Geno Smith Verdict Is In
The quarterback rumors for the Minnesota Vikings have mostly circled around Geno Smith and Kyler Murray over the last few weeks, heading into free agency. While Murray is still out there, Smith just found his new team and it’s a reunion with his old friends from the New York Jets.
ESPN reported, “The New York Jets are trading for the Las Vegas Raiders’ Geno Smith, reuniting the quarterback with the team that drafted him in 2013, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday. The Jets are sending a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the Raiders in exchange for Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick, the sources told Schefter. Before the trade was agreed to, Smith agreed to restructure his contract, sources told Schefter. The Raiders still will pay the bulk of it, and the Jets will take on Smith’s contract at just over veteran minimum.”
Smith started his career with the Jets in what turned out to be an unsuccessful stint. After years of bouncing around as a backup, he finally entered the starting lineup in Seattle and got his second chance. Three years of solid play later, the passer was traded to Las Vegas. The Raiders and Smith had a terrible 2025 season and were headed towards a divorce.
The release had already been reported, but the Jets offered a late-round pick swap to avoid and competition on the open market. They still get the veteran for the minimum salary, while the Raiders pay him to play for the Jets.
That leaves the Vikings with one clear favorite in their QB room overhaul. Kyler Murray has yet to be released and the Cardinals haven’t officially said goodbye to him, which is why he hasn’t been allowed to chat with other organizations.
Tua Tagovailoa, who is in a comparable situation, has already agreed to a deal with the Atlanta Falcons, as the Dolphins have announced his release.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano noted a couple of weeks ago, “The odd quarterback landscape of this offseason makes it difficult to predict where the Vikings land, but if and when someone such as Geno Smith or Kyler Murray gets cut, I could see Minnesota pursuing that kind of passer on a low-cost, one-year prove-it deal.”
Only one of the two players is still available.
Other potential quarterback candidates in Minnesota remain Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers. Neither of the NFC North veterans has signed with another franchise. Conversely, teams that could be in the race for Murray are dwindling. The Steelers still don’t have a QB1 under contract and the Indianapolis Colts haven’t signed Daniel Jones to a contract.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert commented, “With the Geno Smith trade to the Jets, the Vikings appear to be the big favorite for Kyler Murray. Would imagine Kirk Cousins could become an option as well. Both players available tomorrow, barring a trade.”
In theory, a trade could look the same as the Smith sweepstakes. The Cardinals and the Falcons would have to take on a large amount of money, as signing one of Murray or Cousins to a veteran minimum deal is part of the reason other organizations would be interested in signing them in the first place.
For now, all Vikings fans do is wait. A resolution could come at any point, but it will likely come at some time later in the week.
With J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer the only signed signal-callers in the Twin Cities, the Vikings want to add an experienced passer to provide competition for McCarthy or steal the starting job. Cousins and Murray fit that bill, though the latter certainly provides more upside and is a more inspiring choice.
All we know is that Smith will not wear the purple colors despite being heavily linked to the Vikings over the last few weeks.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.