Chip Kelly’s True Feelings on Working With Geno Smith Leaked

The Las Vegas Raiders offense is going to look far different in 2025 than it did in 2024. Not only did the team add a new quarterback in Geno Smith, but they also hired a new offensive coordinator.

Chip Kelly comes over from Ohio State where he called plays for National Championship-winning offense. Kelly does have experience calling plays at the NFL level but has spent most of his career in college.

In the past, Kelly typically worked with mobile quarterbacks but he’s had success with more traditional quarterbacks. Smith can certainly move but he’s more of a pocket passer than a runner.

According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, Kelly thinks highly of Smith and isn’t concerned about fit.

“Kelly has never worked with Smith but views him as a strong fit for his system, according to team sources,” Reed wrote. “Back when Kelly was the head coach at Oregon, he recruited Smith when he was coming out of high school. While Smith chose to go to West Virginia, they remained in touch. And when Kelly began to coach Smith’s cousin, Jeremiah Smith, as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State in 2024, the two renewed their relationship. Smith will deepen his knowledge of Kelly’s scheme once players report for offseason team activities Tuesday, but they won’t be operating from ground zero.”

Smith Praises Kelly’s Offense

Smith has worked in many offenses throughout his career so he’s no stranger to having to adapt. Kelly has called plays for top NFL offenses but that was over a decade ago.

For his part, Smith is a fan of Kelly’s system and thinks he can be productive.

“There’s a lot of things to like about this system,” Smith said during his introductory press conference. “Obviously, I’ve got to dive into it and really just learn the ins and outs of it and how he wants things to be run, but just watching it like a fan from afar, I was really impressed.”

The Raiders fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy during the 2025 season so things can’t get much worse for the offense. Kelly should be a significant upgrade for the team.

Smith Is Ready to Work

Smith is joining a new team with a new coaching staff so if the Raiders want to compete in 2025, they’ll need to put in a lot of work.

The quarterback recently got a contract extension and is ready to start putting in the work.

“It’s about us going out there and earning every single thing,” Smith said. “I’m going to be the guy that’s going to give every single thing that I’ve got, and that’s every single day. I’m never going to let up. I’m going to do whatever it takes to go out there and win. It’s important that my teammates see that, and they see that in me, and I want them to be inspired by that.

“The work starts now.”

It’s not impossible for the Raiders to go from one of the worst teams in the NFL to a playoff team but how Smith plays could dictate how well they do.