After spending just one year on a two-year, $75 million extension ($66.5M guaranteed) deal with the Raiders, Geno Smith’s time with the franchise has finally ended. The move follows a decision to release the quarterback before the start of the new league year and saves the team $8 million in salary cap space while taking on $18.5 million in dead money. But even before the news turned a day old, a fast-food chain swooped in with a job offer, forcing Smith to reply in not just one but two rounds.

The day the Raiders officially released Smith, Wendy’s reposted the news and turned it into a recruitment pitch. “@GenoSmith3 in case things don’t work out in free agency we’re looking for a Chief Tasting Officer,” they wrote on X, tagging Smith.

Perhaps it was just meant to be a playful jab, or a serious invitation. Smith treated it as an opportunity to return fire with facts. And he came back with receipts.

Smith shared a screenshot of a news report from February as a retort. The report revealed Wendy’s same-store sales had tanked 11.3% last year, the worst drop in two decades. The report also noted that the chain was “closing restaurants and easing breakfast hours at some locations.” Above this revelation came Smith’s first response, followed by an even sharper verdict.

“Get ya cheese up 1st,” Smith fired back on X.

“Out here selling poison trying to get jokes off on twitter. Society in shambles.”

He wasn’t just dunking the brand; he was calling out its entire premise, selling fast food while throwing punches at a quarterback who just got cut.

What’s more is that the clapback hit differently because Geno Smith has already built real cultural capital. Represented by Roc Nation Sports, he became the first NFL athlete to sign with Jordan Brand. His portfolio also includes Nike, Under Armour, and NY2O Water.

Smith’s net worth, meanwhile, sits around $30 million, with a potential career earnings exceeding $107 million. Most of this has been accumulated after a late-career resurgence that very few saw coming. 

For now, a more pressing story is Geno Smith’s next football chapter. And his mindset heading into free agency has said everything about what he’s thinking.

Geno Smith is ready for more action

The Raiders are pursuing Fernando Mendoza at quarterback. The 2025 Heisman winner from Indiana is projected to be the first overall pick at the 2026 NFL Draft. On top of the $8 million cap the Raiders save by releasing Smith, his guaranteed money contains “offset language”. Any new deal Smith earns in free agency this offseason would decrease the Raiders’ $18.5 million dead cap by whatever amount the QB makes.

For Las Vegas, the deal gave them room to build weapons around their young quarterback if Mendoza ends up with them. But Smith’s 2025 numbers also deserve proper context.

Geno Smith finished the 2025 season with 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 55 sacks absorbed (tied with Cam Ward for the league lead). But this production was behind an offense that ranked dead last in points (14.2 per game), total yards (4,168), and passing output (140.3 yards per game) under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. That isn’t the resume of a quarterback who’s done, and Smith knows it, too.

The same day the Raiders cut him, Smith dropped another verdict on X: he’s not done with football.

“Let’s see what this next 6 years has to offer. God is REAL,” Smith had posted.

At 35, a six-year runway reaches 41 for Smith. That’s territory occupied by Aaron Rodgers (42) and Joe Flacco (41), two quarterbacks who rewrote their own 2025 endings last season. For Smith, this feels like a personal deadline rather than a retirement stance.

The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt also spoke highly of the film Geno Smith has put on tape in past seasons. He also noted that teams could make a move to sign Smith soon.

“Smith is a gunslinger who still has something left in the tank,” Rosenblatt wrote. “From 2022 to 2024, league-wide, he ranked fourth in yards, eighth in touchdowns, third in completion percentage, and first in lowest percentage of off-target throws (7 percent).”

Geno Smith’s original team, the New York Jets, is the frontrunner to sign him. Smith’s contract situation makes him a near-minimum signing for second-year head coach Aaron Glenn. Additionally, the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings have also emerged as potential destinations for Smith.

Geno Smith got released, got mocked by a struggling fast-food chain, and fired back twice inside 24 hours. The Chief Tasting Officer role can stay open. He’s got a six-year plan on the gridiron to execute.