The Las Vegas Raiders’ season is not unfolding as hoped, and this past weekend, fans aired their grievances loudly.
With a disappointing 2-9 record, the team made the decision to fire offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. During the game, Geno Smith faced boos from the crowd as he left the field, a trend that began even before kickoff.
In reaction, Smith reportedly gave fans the middle finger.
Later, he admitted to making a hasty decision driven by frustration and issued an apology. “I need to hold myself to a higher standard. At that moment, I fell short. I’m truly sorry for that, and I assure you it won’t happen again,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
This isn’t the first time Smith has reacted this way; he made a similar gesture during a preseason game in Seattle when a fan held up a sign comparing him to former Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who is often regarded as a significant draft bust for the franchise.
In their latest game, the Raiders fell 24-10 to the Cleveland Browns, marking their fifth consecutive loss. Smith was sacked ten times, largely due to the pressure from the Browns’ defense led by Myles Garrett, putting him on track to set a single-season record for sacks.
The upcoming weeks pose further challenges for the Raiders, who are scheduled to face off against tough opponents including the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, and Houston Texans, before wrapping up the season with the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs.
Since relocating to Las Vegas in 2020, the Raiders have made the playoffs just once, suffering a wild-card round defeat in 2021. They wrapped up last season with a 4-13 record and selected Ashton Zity as the sixth overall draft pick.
