After their ugly Week 10 loss to the Denver Broncos, the Las Vegas Raiders are sitting at 2–7 and staring down another season without playoff football. As if that wasn’t bad enough, quarterback Geno Smith left the game with an injury. Now, before they face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11 football, head coach Pete Carroll gave an update on his quarterback, offering at least a little optimism.

“He was out there today. He feels pretty good. With a long week, we have a chance for both of those guys (Smith and LG Dylan Parham) ready to go,” Carroll said.

Smith’s thigh injury came on a first-and-10 from the Raiders’ 31-yard line, when he scrambled to his right looking for space. Linebacker Nik Bonitto tripped him up, and as Smith hit the turf, defensive lineman Malcolm Roach came in late with a hit that went unflagged. Trainers checked on him immediately, and he limped to the sideline and into the blue tent.

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He returned on the next drive, but it was obvious something wasn’t right. Smith was favoring his leg, moving gingerly in and out of the pocket, and the limp only got worse as the game went on. Still, he kept pushing to stay in.

“He wanted to go back in, in the worst way. He wanted to finish the game for his teammates. And he got wacked in the quad, got a quad bruise or something. That is just him fighting, and yeah, go back out, you know what I mean, who knows? It is just about completing and battling,” HC Carroll said after the game.

Even so, it might not have made much difference. Smith finished with 143 passing yards, no touchdowns, and one interception in what was a rough outing all around. There’s a fair argument that Kenny Pickett, the backup, might have given the offense a better spark had he stayed in.

Carroll’s comments suggest Smith should be ready to go next week against the Dallas Cowboys, but the outlook isn’t as encouraging for guard Jackson Powers-Johnson, who’s expected to be out for a while.

Jackson Powers-Johnson headed for IR

The Raiders’ offensive line can’t catch a break. With Kolton Miller already on injured reserve due to an ankle injury and Dylan Parham sidelined after suffering a high ankle sprain on Thursday, things went from bad to worse when Jackson Powers-Johnson went down.

“OL Jackson Powers‑Johnson suffered an ankle injury that will land him on Injured Reserve and could potentially end his season. This was expected, as coach Pete Carroll said post-game he’ll be “out awhile.” Still, a big blow to the group,” Insider Ian Rapoport wrote.

It’s a tough setback for Powers-Johnson, who’s struggled to stay healthy since joining the team. He entered training camp as the favorite to start at center, but lost that battle to Jordan Meredith and was moved to guard, where he eventually beat out Alex Cappa for the starting job.

He’s played a major role in the OL this season, starting seven of eight games this year and playing 65.7% of the offensive snaps, along with 10.9% on special teams.

With the team sitting at 2–7, there’s little reason to rush anyone back. The focus now should be on getting Powers-Johnson back to full strength for the 2026 offseason, when the Raiders can hopefully reset and rebuild some stability along the line.