Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kenny Pickett is in line to make his first start of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles, his former team, on Sunday.
Geno Smith is dealing with a shoulder injury and is considered unlikely to start, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday, per sources informed of the situation.
Smith exited the Raiders' 24-17 Week 14 loss to the Denver Broncos. Pickett took over in the fourth quarter. He went 8 of 11 for 97 yards and a passing touchdown.
The Raiders acquired Pickett in August in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. It marked the third time the former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick was traded since the start of the 2024 season. Pittsburgh sent him to Philly in March of 2024, where he spent the season with the Super Bowl champion Eagles.
Pickett started one game for Nick Sirianni's club last season, a Week 17 41-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Pickett completed 10 of 15 attempts for 143 yards and a touchdown in that outing before leaving in the second half with an injury.
In his four seasons, Pickett has started 25 games, going 15-10 with 179.9 passing yards per game, 6.3 yards per pass, 14 passing TDs and 10 interceptions for an 81.0 passer rating. Pickett has generated the second-lowest passing yards per game (ahead of the Jets' Justin Fields) and the second-lowest passing yards per attempt and second-lowest passer rating (ahead of the Panthers' Bryce Young) among 31 QBs to make 25-plus starts since 2022, per NFL Research.
