Despite a brutal loss, the Raiders gain a surprising Week 17 victory, securing their path to a top draft pick and potential franchise quarterback.
There is not much to be excited about when it comes to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025. On Sunday, the Raiders lost to the previously 2-13 New York Giants, 34-10, in Las Vegas.
That's not a good thing, and Geno Smith got injured again as Kenny Pickett saw more playing time at quarterback.
Well, in hindsight, the Raiders losing could actually be a good thing in the long run.
Judy Battista of NFL.com had winners and losers after Week 17, and, surprisingly, the Raiders were named a winner.
Although they lost, the loss makes their chances of the top pick even better, which is a positive for Las Vegas, as Battista wrote.
"We weren't sure which category to put them in, but here we are. If they lose to or tie the Chiefs next week, the Raiders will end up with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after losing to the Giants on Sunday, the most important asset the franchise has had in years. The good news: That gives them first crack at a quarterback of their choosing. The bad: Virtually everything else about the Raiders is a dysfunctional mess. Last week, the brain trust enraged their best player, by placing Maxx Crosby on injured reserve when he believed he was healthy enough to play. The Raiders have some serious repair work to do with Crosby as part of a laundry list of other things that need fixing. The first question has to be whether Pete Carroll should return."
After the game, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Raiders have an 80% chance of the top pick in the next draft, which is a small positive in a frustrating season.
That could mean their pick of QBs such as Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore, or even trading the pick for a haul.
But, Battista also brought up the Pete Carroll issue, and there is a chance he gets fired on Black Monday, the day after the regular season comes to an end.
All in all, the Raiders are looking like the favorites to land the top pick, and if they do, it could mean their next franchise QB gets selected in April.
There are a lot of different scenarios for this team, but in what has been a bad year in the first year of the Carroll-Smith era, getting the No. 1 pick wouldn't be so bad.