Raiders Face Uncertain Future as 2025 Season Spirals
The Las Vegas Raiders came into 2025 with a plan. Signing veteran quarterback Geno Smith was supposed to stabilize the offense.
Bringing in Pete Carroll, a Super Bowl-winning coach with a reputation for building strong locker rooms, was meant to bring leadership and structure. On paper, it looked like a team ready to turn the page.
But with the season winding down, the reality in Las Vegas looks far different. Smith hasn’t provided the spark the offense needed.
In fact, he’s struggled to the point where his presence on the field has raised more questions than answers. And Carroll, instead of ushering in a new era of accountability and development, has drawn criticism for his reluctance to give younger players meaningful snaps-players the franchise desperately needs to evaluate as it looks toward the future.
Now, the Raiders find themselves at a crossroads. There’s a very real possibility that both Smith and Carroll could be one-and-done in Vegas. And perhaps more troubling, the team still doesn’t appear to have a long-term answer at quarterback anywhere on the roster.
Internally, the uncertainty is palpable.
According to a recent report, multiple players have voiced confusion about the team's direction. “I really don’t know what the plan is.
I don’t think anyone knows,” one unnamed Raider admitted. That kind of sentiment isn’t just concerning-it’s indicative of a franchise without a clear identity or roadmap.
The disarray isn’t limited to the locker room. One Raiders staffer reportedly aligned with former interim head coach Antonio Pierce, who didn’t hold back during a recent CBS broadcast.
Pierce, reflecting on the constant turnover and instability within the organization, said: “They might need decades to fix this bad boy. I’m just saying.
One and done, one and done, one and done... is there another coach gone? Another coordinator?”
Pierce’s point was clear: without consistency and a long-term vision, the Raiders are stuck in a cycle of short-lived fixes and finger-pointing.
“It’s hard to argue with him,” the staffer said in response.
That sentiment seems to be echoed throughout the building-and even around the league. The consensus? No one really knows what the Raiders are doing right now.
And that’s a problem.
This isn’t a team that’s simply underperforming. It’s a team that appears rudderless, with no clear plan for how to get back on track. The logical next step would be a full-scale rebuild-strip it down, start fresh, and build a foundation that can actually sustain success.
But therein lies the dilemma. At 74 years old, Carroll may not be the right coach to lead a long-term rebuild.
His track record speaks for itself, but rebuilding from the ground up is a massive undertaking-one that demands patience, energy, and a willingness to play the long game. If Carroll isn’t aligned with that vision, it may be time for the Raiders to move in a different direction.
The Raiders aren’t just facing another offseason of change-they’re staring down a pivotal moment in franchise history. The decisions made in the coming months could shape the next decade of Raiders football. And right now, the biggest challenge isn’t just fixing the roster or finding a quarterback-it’s figuring out who’s actually steering the ship.