In a tale as old as time, the Las Vegas Raiders' front office will have plenty of holes to fill this offseason. The 2025 NFL season hasn't exactly gone as planned for the Silver and Black, as they wildly miscalculated on their biggest offseason moves.
At this point, the franchise should clearly be focused on figuring out which young players are a part of the future. But Pete Carroll has stubbornly refused to play the rookie class. These five Raiders should be thankful for that decision, as they continue to get playing time that they likely don't deserve.
5 Raiders that should be thankful they continue to be starters
Geno Smith
Smith revived his career playing under Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks. The Raiders were able to acquire him for a third-round pick in a move that was highly praised at the time. But he has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL, something that even his harshest critics didn't see coming.
His 62.3 Pro Football Focus grade ranks 31st out of 41 quarterbacks. The Raiders don't have much else in the quarterback room, but it is clear that Smith is not the future at the position. He should be thankful for his relationship with Carroll, as otherwise Aidan O'Connell or Kenny Pickett would start.
Kyu Blu Kelly
Kelly is another player with previous ties to Carroll who has gotten a much longer leash than he deserves. The third-year cornerback, who played for the Seahawks in 2023, has played 74.8% of the defensive snaps this season, which is the sixth-most on the team, despite immense struggles.
His 48.8 PFF grade ranks 105th out of 111 cornerbacks. Yet, he has only been benched one time this season, playing over 50% of the defensive snaps in each of the other 10 games. It is clear that rookie cornerback Darien Porter, who has been much better than Kelly, should be starting.
Stone Forsythe
Starting to notice a trend? Forsythe is yet another member of the Raiders who played for Carroll's Seahawks, spending the first three years of his career in Seattle. While he began the season as a backup tackle, he has played all but one snap since Kolton Miller went down with an injury.
Forsythe's 52.8 PFF grade ranks 72nd out of 80 offensive tackles. He has been equally bad against the pass and run, as his 53.0 and 54.8 grades rank 67th and 64th. Rookie Charles Grant is sitting behind him, who could clearly benefit from more reps, so Forsythe should be thankful for Carroll.
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Isaiah Pola-Mao
Pola-Mao is the first player listed who does not have previous ties to Carroll. He has, arguably, been the worst safety in the entire NFL, as his 34.9 PFF grade this season ranks dead last out of 94 safeties. He's playing a bit out of position, but struggles are struggles.
Despite his clear shortcomings, he has missed just ten snaps all year. The Raiders don't have much depth at safety, but many thought the return of Lonnie Johnson Jr. would lead to a decreased role for Pola-Mao. He should be thankful that he hasn't seen that happen.
Devin White
White is the one player who has played 100% of the snaps on either side of the ball for the Raiders this season. While he has had some great moments, overall, he has been a negative. He ranks in the top five in both solo tackles and total tackles, but he has missed 15 tackles and allowed 47 catches.
His 47.2 PFF grade ranks 72nd out of 83 linebackers. While he also plays a position where Las Vegas lacks depth, White should be thankful that the coaching staff has not decided to give second-year linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, who has played just 30 defensive snaps, an extended look.