Raiders Could Be Sitting on a Gold Mine-If They Don’t Fumble It
The Las Vegas Raiders are 2-11, buried at the bottom of the standings, and have looked overmatched most Sundays this season. But believe it or not, they might be in one of the most enviable positions in the entire NFL-if they can stay the course and not trip over themselves on the way to the finish line.
Let’s start with the obvious: the record is brutal. This team hasn’t just been losing-they’ve been outclassed.
But under the surface, there’s a foundation here that could turn things around in a hurry. The Raiders are projected to have more salary cap space over the next three seasons than any other team in the league.
That’s a war chest that could reshape the roster quickly if used wisely. On top of that, they currently control their own destiny for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
And unlike some teams in rebuild mode, the Raiders aren’t working with a totally bare cupboard. They’ve got legit talent to build around.
Brock Bowers has flashed the elite upside he showed in college, Ashton Jeanty looks like a future star in the backfield, and Maxx Crosby remains one of the most disruptive edge rushers in football. That’s a trio any incoming coach would love to inherit.
Speaking of coaching, if the current slide continues-and all signs point that way-it’s hard to imagine Pete Carroll surviving the season. That opens the door for a fresh start.
A new head coach could walk into Las Vegas with the top draft pick, potentially $146 million in cap space, and a few cornerstone players already in place. That’s the kind of setup that doesn’t come around often.
But Here’s the Problem: Raiders Gonna Raider
For all the potential, there’s a familiar cloud hanging over Raider Nation. Fans have seen this movie before-and they know how it usually ends.
The fear? That Las Vegas will stumble into a couple of meaningless wins down the stretch, drop in the draft order, and miss out on a franchise quarterback-again.
That scenario isn’t just a nightmare in theory. It’s happened.
Just last season, the Raiders were in the running for a top-2 pick. Then they rattled off two wins in the final three weeks and slid all the way down to pick No.
- The year before that, they were in a tailspin until interim coach Antonio Pierce lit a spark.
They finished just shy of .500 and capped the year with a Week 18 win over the Broncos-a feel-good moment that came at the cost of draft positioning.
That same draft saw six teams land quarterbacks they believe can lead their franchises for the next decade. Denver grabbed Bo Nix at No.
- The Raiders, picking one spot later, ended up with Brock Bowers-an excellent consolation prize, but not the quarterback they still desperately need.
The Schedule Might Help… or Hurt
Looking at the rest of the season, the schedule seems to be doing the Raiders a favor-on paper, at least. They face the Eagles and Texans on the road in the next two weeks, both playoff-caliber teams with a lot to play for. Those games are likely losses, which is exactly what Las Vegas needs to maintain its grip on the No. 1 pick.
But then things get tricky. The Raiders return home to face the Giants and Chiefs.
The Giants, also 2-11, are in a similar spot-but they’ve been more competitive and have shown flashes of fight. That’s a game the Raiders could theoretically win, even if they shouldn’t.
And then there’s the Chiefs. If Kansas City has already locked up its playoff seed by Week 18, there’s a real chance they rest starters.
That could mean Gardner Minshew at quarterback, and suddenly, a game that should be a loss becomes winnable. For a team trying to lose-yes, that’s the reality-it’s a dangerous setup.
The Stakes Are Clear
Let’s be honest: no one in the building is saying they want to lose. Players are fighting for jobs, coaches are coaching for their futures, and pride still matters. But from a big-picture standpoint, every win from here on out could cost the Raiders dearly.
This franchise has been chasing a true franchise quarterback for years. They’ve had stopgaps, experiments, and short-term fixes.
None of it has worked. The 2026 draft offers a shot at a clean slate-and maybe, just maybe, the guy who can finally change the trajectory of this team.
Las Vegas has the cap space, the draft capital, and a few young stars to build around. The only thing standing in their way? Themselves.
If they can avoid the late-season slip-ups that have haunted them in years past, the Raiders could be sitting on a rebuild blueprint that turns things around fast. But if they fall into old habits and play just well enough to mess it all up?
Well, let’s just say Raider Nation has seen that ending before.