The Las Vegas Raiders have a long way to go if they want to compete in the AFC West. This statement was true before the 2025 NFL season kicked off, and it remains true despite the division, as a whole, not performing up to expectations so far this year.

After a Week 1 win against the New England Patriots, the Raiders got their first taste of just how far they were from success when they got beat down by the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium in Week 2. Since then, the Chargers have tapered off a bit, but it’s been largely due to key injuries.

At 3-2, the Chargers still have control over the division, but the Denver Broncos are rapidly closing in on them. Los Angeles did the smart thing on Tuesday afternoon and made a trade to shake things up, and while they landed a solid defensive line piece, they traded away Geno Smith’s kryptonite.

Geno Smith must be happy as Chargers trade away Alohi Gilman

On Tuesday, the Chargers shockingly struck a deal with the Baltimore Ravens, trading players between the Harbaugh brothers. The deal involved former first-round pass-rusher Odafe Oweh and a seventh-rounder heading to LA in exchange for Chargers safety Alohi Gilman and a fifth-rounder.

While Oweh burst onto the scene last year for the Ravens to the tune of 10.0 sacks, he has struggled out of the gates in 2025. Oweh has recorded 12 pressures this season, according to Pro Football Focus, but he has yet to get home for a sack.

This may make the Chargers a bit better, considering their safety room was deep and they needed a jolt at defensive end. But Gilman was Smith’s worst nightmare during Week 2, and the Raiders’ quarterback will be glad to see him gone when the teams meet again in Week 13.

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Gilman was the player who tipped Smith’s pass on the opening play of the Monday Night Football matchup, which fell into Daiyan Henley’s hands for an interception. He also had a big pass breakup in the end zone against Jakobi Meyers, thwarting Las Vegas near the goal line.

He was the Chargers’ highest-graded player in the game, according to PFF, as he broke up both passes when he was targeted and made three total tackles for the Los Angeles defense. Of course, his play has been more suspect as of late, but he had the recipe against the Raiders in Week 2.

Overall, this trade is a net-positive for the Chargers, even if a gamewrecker from a previous contest is now out the door. However, Smith may have taken a deep breath upon hearing this news, as the Raiders do not play the Ravens this year, meaning he won’t have to see Gilman any time soon.