Winning just two games during the 2025 NFL season means that the writing is on the wall for many of the Las Vegas Raiders' players this offseason. While the team has plenty of young talent already in the building, they'll need upgrades across the board, which means plenty of fat will be trimmed.
The Raiders' saving grace is that they are not locked into any unfavorable long-term deals, and many of the players they should want to get rid of will be free agents anyway in March. Here are 10 players who should already be packing their bags after a brutal year in Las Vegas.
10 Raiders players who won't be back after brutal 2025 season
1. Geno Smith
Smith wore out his welcome by about Week 4. The only penalty for releasing him would be an $18.5 million dead cap hit, and the Raiders would save $8 million in the process. With a rookie quarterback likely coming in, keeping Smith would be wasted money, and fans don't trust him as a bridge guy.
2. Stone Forsythe
Forsythe isn't under contract next year, but he would have been cut anyway. In fact, he'd have been cut midseason if Pete Carroll wasn't coaching. Charles Grant is already a promising young swing tackle, and they'll need another tackle in the draft, so Forsythe has no spot on this roster. Or any.
3. Tyler Lockett
Signing Lockett was a bizarre move at the time, and the only thing that he really contributed to in Las Vegas was taking reps away from players like Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr. His production wasn't worth that interference, so John Spytek should have no issue parting ways with him.
4. Elandon Roberts
Roberts was fine at linebacker this year for Las Vegas, and there's a chance that he gets brought back on a cheap deal again. But the Raiders need to get younger and faster at linebacker, and they need someone who can play every down and cover better than Roberts can.
5. Kenny Pickett
Pickett actually had a few opportunities to prove himself as a viable long-term backup in Las Vegas. Spytek traded a fifth-rounder for him, so the Raiders likely wanted to keep him, but there just won't be room at quarterback for him with O'Connell still under contract and a rookie signal-caller on the way.
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6. Daniel Carlson
Carlson has had a great run as the Raiders' kicker, but there has to be a reason that Spytek didn't give him an extension. If Sunday was his last game, he definitely went out with a bang, and he proved that his leg is stronger than most thought. At the least, they'll probably add some competition for him.
7. Zamir White
White, as he seemingly does every offseason, worked his way into a role in the Raiders' backfield. But, as he does every season, he played his way out of it and became a healthy scratch nearly every week. Las Vegas needs a long-term complement to Ashton Jeanty, and White certainly isn't that.
8. Darnay Holmes
Holmes' fate may be tied to Patrick Graham's, as the two have crossed paths several times in their respective careers. Greedy Vance Jr. started to get the nod in the slot over Holmes, and Vance is much younger, so Spytek could easily lean in that direction and let Holmes walk in free agency.
9. Will Putnam
The Raiders tried to make Putnam work, but they just couldn't. They put him in at guard and at center, and the results were favorable on neither occasion. Putnam would be dirt cheap to bring back, but Las Vegas can do far better in terms of depth pieces.
10. Devin White
Devin White was exactly what Raiders fans thought he would be: A splash player who makes some big plays but ultimately gives up more than he prevents. Missed tackles and poor pass coverage defined his campaign, and although he'd be cheap again, Spytek would be better off scanning for upgrades.