The Las Vegas Raiders have had a terrible start to the 2025 NFL season, as they exit their Week 8 bye with a 2-5 record. After being in a perpetual rebuild for over two decades, it is no surprise that much of the fan base has already given up hope on turning things around in the second half of the year.
The same cannot be said for the players in the locker room, as their faith in reaching the postseason has seemingly not wavered. The team will need a big turnaround to do so, however, as they have left plenty to be desired on both sides of the ball through seven games.
Ashton Jeanty became the latest Raiders star to voice their approach to the second half of the year. The rookie running back made it clear that his expectations for the season have not changed despite the slow start.
Ashton Jeanty's goals for the Raiders remain the same amid slow start
Jeanty has been one of the lone bright spots in Las Vegas, as the Raiders have not given fans much to cheer about. The sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft recently spoke with Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek, where he discussed his expectations for the final ten games of the season.
"We have a lot of great players, a lot of great pieces. We have some guys who have been injured who are coming back. I think we're going to arrive," Jeanty said. "It can only get better from where we've been. It was a tough start to the season, but we've learned a lot from it. We've learned a lot about ourselves. We're excited to attack the second half of the season and turn things around."
While Jeanty is certainly correct that the team has a lot of great pieces, several players are returning from injury, and things simply cannot get worse, Raider Nation will have to see the team arrive before they believe it. As for Jeanty, however, his goals for the rest of the season are quite lofty.
"Win. Make the playoffs."Ashton Jeanty on rest of season goals
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While this goal may be a bit unrealistic with how the season began, considering the Silver and Black have dug themselves quite a hole, it is a positive that the team's young players are not allowing losing to become a part of their DNA.
In the wake of his comments about the Raiders' losing culture after the Kansas City Chiefs game in Week 7, Jeanty spoke with the media on Wednesday, where he was asked how he plans to change the team's culture.
"Keep being who I am. Working hard. Set an example. Speak when I need to, when it's needed, and I'll keep doing my part and hopefully others continue to follow behind and go forward with me," Jeanty said.
Jeanty recently received a challenge from former quarterback Derek Carr after the aforementioned comments, and it seems like he has accepted it. While he may not believe the franchise has a winning culture right now, the rookie appears committed to being the change he wants to see.
Las Vegas has a long way to go to turn things around; however, it is great to see that its young players have the right mentality. The roster construction, particularly landing a franchise quarterback, will ultimately determine how much success the team can have going forward, but establishing the right culture is also critically important.