Geno Smith injury update: Raiders QB faces flak after ‘dirty hit’ vs Broncos; Nik Bonitto reacts

Geno Smith faced flak even after he returned following a ‘dirty hit’ vs the Denver Broncos on Thursday. The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback, who absorbed as many as five sacks in the first half alone, went down awkwardly after a tackle by Nik Bonitto, appearing to injure his leg on what initially looked like a harmless scramble. He was visibly in pain.

After spending time in the blue medical tent, Smith tested his knee on the sideline, doing light jogging as trainers evaluated him. Despite the injury, he eventually returned to the field to try and finish the game. At the time, Las Vegas trailed by just three points.

Reacting to Smith’s injury, Bonitto just looked on.

With Geno Smith out, Kenny Pickett took over as QB. Pickett remains the only fully healthy quarterback currently on the roster, with Cam Miller on the practice squad and Aidan O’Connell still on injured reserve.

However, Smith still faced flak on social media. “Take Geno Smith out of the game, please,” one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

Another person noted that the Raiders QB has thrown the most interceptions this season, at 12.

The Las Vegas Raiders rolled the dice on Geno Smith this offseason, hoping his veteran presence would stabilize the offense. But halfway through the year, that gamble has yet to deliver. Smith has struggled to find consistency. The Raiders were 2-6 coming into the Broncos game.

Smith’s condition will be closely monitored in the coming days, as the Raiders cannot afford to lose another starting quarterback in what’s already been a bruising season.

Raiders QB depth chart

Geno Smith

Kenny Pickett

Cam Miller (practice squad)