Raiders Told to Give up on 2025 Season Before It Starts

Expectations are the highest they’ve been for the Las Vegas Raiders in a while. Head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith should be huge upgrades over what the team had last season.

While many are excited about what the Raiders are doing, they could still need more work before they can truly contend. The AFC West might be the toughest division in the NFL, so there will be little margin for error.

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport put a list together of teams that should forgo trying to compete in 2025 and focus on rebuilding. He had the Raiders atop the list.

“That no doubt made the Raiders’ long-suffering fanbase happy, and the trade that brought veteran quarterback Geno Smith to Sin City was indicative of a team that plans to contend immediately,” Davenport wrote. “But at the risk of angering Raider Nation, this is a team that is still a year away—especially in an AFC West that put three teams in the playoffs last season.

“To be clear, the Raiders aren’t as far out as some of the teams in this column—there are some foundational pieces on both sides of the ball in the likes of tight end Brock Bowers and edge-rusher Maxx Crosby.”

Raiders Have Roster Holes

The biggest concerns with the Raiders involve the roster. There are notable holes in a few key position groups. That’s the biggest reason why Davenport thinks the team should focus on rebuilding.

“But the Raiders have a below-average offensive line. The wide receivers aren’t exactly an imposing lot. Linebacker and the defensive backfield are legitimate question marks,” Davenport wrote. “This season should be as much about figuring out which needs the team will have to address in 2026 as trying to make the playoffs in 2025.

“And if the Raiders finish anywhere but last place in the AFC West this season, it will be a step in the right direction.”

There are still roster moves the Raiders can make to upgrade some areas of concern, but they aren’t likely to find major impact players at this point in the offseason unless they’re willing to swing a bold trade or two.

Raiders Should See What Happens

It’s easy to say that the Raiders should either embrace a rebuild or try to go all in, but this year should really just be about figuring out where the team stands in relation to the other teams in the NFL. This is Carroll and general manager John Spytek’s first year with the team.

Success doesn’t typically come overnight for new regimes. The Raiders have no reason to embrace a total rebuild right now. They have too many good players like Geno Smith, Maxx Crosby, Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers.

That said, there’s also no reason for Las Vegas to give up important assets to try and make a run this year. 2025 should be about seeing what the Raiders do well and what they don’t. Once they have a better idea of where they need to improve, they could push to go on a run next year. Carroll isn’t getting any younger and isn’t going to want a prolonged rebuild.