Raiders QB Geno Smith exits loss to Giants with high-ankle sprain
Smith had to be helped off the field and headed straight to the locker room.

Raiders QB Geno Smith threw for 176 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions during Sunday's loss to the Giants. Steve Marcus / Getty Images
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith left Sunday’s 34-10 loss to the New York Giants with a high-ankle sprain and never returned.
Raiders coach Pete Carroll announced the injury after the game and said Smith would have an MRI on Monday.
“That’s pretty hard to bounce back (from),” Carroll said. “That might knock him out of next week, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Smith was injured early in the fourth quarter after he threw an interception to defensive back Dane Belton. Smith had to be helped off the field and headed straight to the locker room. He exited the game with the Giants leading 27-10.
Dane Belton with the @Giants INT!
NYGvsLV on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/IAtrmfgWiU
— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025
The quarterback finished the day 20-of-28 passing for 176 yards with one touchdown (a 4-yard toss to Tyler Lockett in the third quarter) and two interceptions.
Smith was replaced by Kenny Pickett, who started in a 31-0 Week 15 defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles while Smith recovered from shoulder and hand injuries.
Smith’s two interceptions give him a league-leading 17 for the season and are the second most of his career. He threw 21 during his rookie season with the Jets, in 2013.
The Raiders (2-13) have lost 10 straight games in their first season under Carroll. The one silver lining is that Sunday’s loss puts them in the driver’s seat to secure the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. According to ESPN, their chances of locking up the top pick rose to 80 percent with the loss.

Jayna Bardahl is a staff writer for The Athletic. She has worked as an editor and reporter covering Big Ten football and men's basketball, and was an intern at The Boston Globe, where she covered the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. Follow Jayna on Twitter @Jaynabardahl