The Las Vegas Raiders should be glad to leave 2025 in the rearview mirror. It was a year of ill-advised decisions, mainly big-picture ones like the hiring of Pete Carroll and subsequently pairing him with Geno Smith, as well as every other former Seattle Seahawk who came to Las Vegas past their prime.
More importantly, the team won just two games in the entire calendar year, which is quite embarrassing and simply unacceptable. Both Raider Nation and those in the building know that serious self-reflection and improvement, as well as key changes, are needed this offseason.
With that in mind, here are three New Year's resolutions for the franchise as January begins. If the Raiders are able to follow these and stick with them throughout the year, then the tide should start to seriously turn for Las Vegas in 2026.
New Year's resolutions for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2026
1. Draft quarterback of the future (in the first round!)
It has been far too long since the Raiders had a bona fide franchise quarterback that the fan base had no quarrels with. Las Vegas needs a youthful injection under center, which would give Raider Nation hope and ideally patch up some other holes on the roster. This is the formula every team follows.
Luckily, Las Vegas is set to pick in the top two of the 2026 NFL Draft, which would put them in a position to, at worst, land whoever is left between Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Oregon's Dante Moore. Neither has technically declared yet, but the assumption is they'll both turn pro in April.
2. Fire Pete Carroll and land young offensive mastermind
Carroll wasn't even the Raiders' top option last offseason, and there is absolutely no reason that, after a likely 2-15 campaign, owner Mark Davis should stick with the 74-year-old coach for a rebuild. Just like at the quarterback position, Las Vegas needs a young and energetic leader.
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Raider Nation is also tired of retread head coaches and those from defensive backgrounds. They want one from the coveted Shanahan coaching tree, like Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur or Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
3. Build through the trenches
John Spytek proved that he knew how to build through the trenches as an executive with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a head scout for the Denver Broncos. On both sides of the ball, Spytek needs to focus on the big boys up front, particularly on offense, to protect his rookie quarterback.
No more luxury picks like a running back or tight end, as enticing and fun to watch as those players can be. Football is a game that is won at the line of scrimmage, and it is about time that the Raiders realize that and act accordingly.