The Las Vegas Raiders have had a rough season to say the least.
The 2025 National League Football season has been thrilling for many, but not for the Raiders and their fans. At 2-12, the Raiders have been eliminated from playoff contention for several weeks and have no answers to their failures.
It’s hard to find bright spots on this team, but there have been a couple. Some of the rookies have stepped up in the absence of starters, like right guard Caleb Rogers and receiver Jack Bech. Ashton Jeanty has had some good games but for the most part, his offensive line doesn’t help him create space.
Other players have done well, like All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers when healthy and linebacker Devin White. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, White is the fifth player in franchise history to surpass 140 tackles in a season. Rapoport added that if White records one more sack, he would join Demario Davis as one of two players since 2019 to get 700 or more tackles and 25 sacks.
White has arguably been the best defensive player on the field, including star defensive end Maxx Crosby. But Las Vegas’ CB1, Eric Stokes, has been making noise as a prime extension candidate after this season.
“The Raiders' starting cornerback is one of the few players who made a strong case to get an extension this offseason,” ESPN’s Ryan McFadden wrote Tuesday. “Stokes has given up a completion rate of 58.1% and a passer rating of 93.6 -- the lowest of his career. Despite Las Vegas' struggles, Stokes told ESPN that he loves the organization and would be open to returning. ‘If the opportunity is there, heck yeah,’ he said. ‘If not, I can't be sad about it. It's business.’”
Stokes, 26, is in his first season with the Raiders after spending his first four with the Green Bay Packers. Stokes has dealt with injuries in his career, but he played all 17 games last year and has only missed one game this season. He needs 13 tackles over the next three games to break his single-season career-high in total tackles.
Las Vegas should be flattered to hear a good player is open to extending with them if the opportunity arises. Expect the Raiders to try to land Stokes on a team-friendly deal in the coming months.
The Raiders have their sight set on a road matchup with the Houston Texans in Week 16.