The Las Vegas Raiders acquired Geno Smith in a trade from the Seattle Seahawks weeks ago, yet a new contract for the quarterback remains in limbo.
"We're working on it," head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday at the NFL's Annual League Meeting. "Yeah, we're working on it. [Smith's] excited to get going, get started. He'll be here when we get rolling. But we are working on it."
Raiders general manager John Spytek later told reporters that he was confident an extension for Smith will get done soon.
"We look forward to having him not just this year," Spytek said, via ESPN, "but for years to come."
The Seahawks traded Smith earlier this month after the sides reportedly couldn't agree on an extension. The assumption has been that the Raiders, who gave up a third-round pick to acquire the veteran, would ink Smith to a new pact that at least partly meets his desire.
For now, the sides are in a holding pattern.
Carroll, who coached the QB for six years in Seattle, insisted that the Raiders didn't trade for Smith to be a bridge, but rather a multiyear solution.
"Getting Geno was a really important part of this puzzle we're putting together," Carroll said. "He has really a rich background, which was really important to me because I know what we can count on. A guy that is such a great worker, he's grown so much throughout his career, been through so much and overcome so much. I love the way he approaches the game. He's serious, he's competitive. He works his tail off. He's a great leader in that regard. He leads the guys by the way he takes to the game. Man, he's talented, really talented."
