Raiders QB Geno Smith Bracing for NFL Punishment After Ex...

By Cole SullivanShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

The Las Vegas Raiders’ struggles continued Sunday afternoon with a 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, dropping them to 2-9 on the season.

It’s been a year filled with issues on and off the field for head coach Pete Carroll’s team, and much of the criticism has fallen on veteran quarterback Geno Smith.

Smith completed 30 of 44 passes for 285 yards, one touchdown, and one turnover. While he avoided an interception this week, he still remains tied for the NFL lead with 13.

After the game — shortly after greeting rookie QB Shedeur Sanders, who made his first career NFL start for Cleveland — Smith appeared to flash an explicit gesture toward fans at Allegiant Stadium, mainly Raiders supporters. He did it as he walked into the tunnel, seemingly believing the cameras wouldn’t pick it up.

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While the Raiders’ struggles this season haven’t fallen solely on Smith, he isn’t doing himself any favors. Throwing up an obscene gesture toward your own fanbase is certainly a quick way to make everyone turn on you even faster—a recipe for disaster if he hopes to remain in Las Vegas beyond this season.

He’ll also almost certainly be facing punishment from the NFL if the league chooses to review the incident. Obscene gestures have led to fines already this year, including when Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was caught on camera flipping off fans after a Cowboys–Jets game.

Jones was fined $250,000 and initially planned to appeal, claiming it wasn’t the signal he intended to make, before deciding against it. Smith likely won’t be hit with a fine that large, but there’s a good chance he’ll have to pay a hefty amount out of his own pocket.

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Following the game, the Raiders also made headlines by firing offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who was hired just this offseason and was the highest-paid OC on head coach Pete Carroll’s staff.

The Raiders, looking to snap a five-game losing streak, will travel to Los Angeles in Week 13 for a divisional matchup with the Chargers.

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