Pete Carroll’s second chance with Geno Smith ended not with a championship, but with a public admission of regret that now hangs over the quarterback’s surprising return to the New York Jets. The move came after the Jets acquired Geno Smith in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, prompting former Raiders head coach Pete Carroll to reflect on what he believes went wrong during their brief reunion in Las Vegas.

“He’s a phenomenal quarterback; he really is,” Carroll said on ESPN on Wednesday in his first interview since leaving the Raiders. “He had a fantastic offseason and preseason with us, and he comes out in the first game, has a great first game. It was all fitting. It was exactly the right time for us. Then we just faltered and faltered. We didn’t do well enough, coaching. We should’ve had him better prepared for the things that happened, and that wouldn’t have happened.”

Last season, Pete Carroll believed he could recreate the magic he once built with Smith. The two had already worked together with the Seattle Seahawks from 2019 through 2023, which made the reunion with the Silver and Black feel like a safe bet. Instead, the season unraveled quickly. Smith finished the year leading the league with 17 interceptions and 55 sacks, numbers that reflected just how chaotic things became. Eventually, Carroll fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly after only 11 games as the struggles piled up.

Looking back, Carroll believes the situation could have unfolded very differently.

“I take a lot of responsibility in that,” Carroll said. “We didn’t prepare him well enough in the offseason, even though he looked great and we felt we had everything lined up. It was very, very disappointing for us both. He got off to such a miserable start, and it wasn’t just him.”

“It was the whole thing. We just didn’t function well early on, and he got behind the eight ball right from the beginning. Everybody wanted to blame him for it, and he took it and took it and took it, and then they captured him, an exchange or whatever. He just didn’t get to reap the benefits of our relationship.”

The promise of that 362-yard opening day performance quickly evaporated as the team spiraled into a four-game losing streak, with Smith’s rising interception total becoming a symbol of the Raiders’ chaotic season. As the season progressed, Smith’s interception count began to rise. Ultimately, the Raiders concluded the season with a disappointing 3–14 record, marking the end of Carroll’s tenure with the franchise.

However, this opened up an opportunity for a special reunion.

Geno Smith shares his feelings after returning to the Jets

After 13 long years, Geno Smith is back with the Jets. His NFL journey started when the Jets picked him in the second round (39th overall) in the 2013 draft. And Smith is happy about his homecoming.

“The Raiders are trading QB Geno Smith and a seventh-rounder to the Jets for a sixth-round pick tomorrow—and safe to say Geno’s pleased with the result,” Breer reported via X. “He’ll return to the franchise that drafted him nearly a decade after leaving. His reaction, via text: ‘Complete full circle moment. Looking forward to connecting with all my teammates and coaches and building a new relationship with the fans.’”

Smith threw for 3,046 passing yards during his first season in 2013. However, things soon took a turn. In 2015, while preparing to lead the team again, he suffered a broken jaw after a teammate punched him, forcing him to miss several weeks. Consequently, he made only a few starts afterward, quietly ending his first stint with Gang Green.

Eventually, Smith moved on in 2016 and began searching for a fresh start. He spent time with the New York Giants in 2017 and the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018, mostly working as a backup. Later, though, his career took a surprising turn upward with the Seattle Seahawks.

And last offseason, Smith joined the Raiders on a two-year, $75 million extension; however, the results did not match expectations. He finished 27th in Total QBR at 34.1 while posting 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns, and a league-high 17 interceptions.

As a result, the Silver and Black are looking at another option. Meanwhile, Smith heads back to the Meadowlands for another chance with the Jets. Whether this reunion can rewrite the ending to Smith’s tumultuous New York story remains the Jets’ biggest question heading into the season.