It’s time for the Las Vegas Raiders to strip the team down and go into a full rebuild.
At 2-14, the Raiders are on the inside track to securing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 National Football League Draft and they did not look good in their Week 17 loss to the New York Giants who would have secured the first pick had they lost to Las Vegas.
This team has been a mess from top to bottom from the start. Despite winning their first game of the season against the New England Patriots (yes, the 13-3 Patriots), the team has dropped 14 of their last 15 games and haven’t won since Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans.
Head coach Pete Carroll believed he could turn this team into a playoff contender in year one, but he might be out the door after a horrible first season with no evidence of progress.
Controversy has surrounded this team. From coordinators getting fired because they don’t know the playbook, to shutting down their top player despite wanting to play, to looking effortless in a game that had huge implications for the draft order; this team has had a rough year.
ESPN’s Ryan McFadden thinks the team should do a full teardown in the offseason.
“Coach Pete Carroll was brought in to change the culture within the organization and make the team competitive right away,” McFadden wrote Tuesday. “The truth is that the Raiders are far from being competitive and could soon be searching for a new head coach for the third straight season. Sunday marked their 10th double-digit loss in 2025, and quarterback Geno Smith threw multiple interceptions yet again. It's time they embrace a full rebuild through the draft and development. This offseason will provide an opportunity to do so, as ESPN Analytics gives them an 80% shot at the No. 1 pick. At the same time, it might be worth it to explore trading star defensive end Maxx Crosby, who is 28 with aspirations of winning. The Raiders have won a combined six games in the past two seasons.”
First-year general manager John Spytek has a lot of decisions to make once the season ends. The Raiders will host the depleted Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18 as the regular season comes to an end.