Is Geno Smith playing tonight? Latest update on Raiders QB's status for preseason opener

The Las Vegas Raiders will open the preseason Thursday versus the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field, meaning quarterback Geno Smith is set to return to Seattle just a few months after being traded.

The Seahawks traded Smith to the Raiders in March. The veteran signal-caller will be Las Vegas' starter in 2025, and should be a major upgrade at quarterback for a Raiders' squad that has had a revolving door at the position since the departure of Derek Carr in 2023.

Smith should have a chip on his shoulder against his former team, but will the Pro Bowl quarterback even play to begin the preseason?

Is Geno Smith playing tonight?

Earlier in the week, head coach Pete Carroll, who is also making his return to Seattle after coaching the franchise for 14 years, stated that the Raiders plan to play their starters versus the Seahawks on Thursday.

"Everybody's live, everybody's ready to go," Carroll said on Thursday.

However, long-time Seahawks reporter John Boyle isn't fully convinced that Carroll will play his starters on Thursday.

"As a 14-year veteran of Pete Carroll press conference, I'm quite confident noting that Pete saying "everybody's live, everybody's ready to go" is far from a declaration that starters are playing Thursday," Boyle said on X.

Carroll's comments to the media signal that the starters, including Smith, will be out there for a little bit versus the Seahawks. However, we'll just have to see at kickoff if Las Vegas sends Smith out there to command the offense in his old home, this time in a different jersey.