It is no secret that there will be wholesale changes for the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. Just days separate this team from the end of their 2-14 campaign during the 2025 NFL season, and almost nobody in the building should feel like their job is secure.
First, the team will likely sign a litany of players to reserve/future contracts, which will mainly consist of players from this year's practice squad that the team would like to keep around to begin 2026. Then, free agency will begin on March 9, depending on what kind of free agent a team is dealing with.
The pre-draft process will begin as early as late January, with college all-star games like the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Combine will begin on February 23. The 2026 NFL Draft will be held from April 23-25. It is going to be a busy offseason, as always, for John Spytek and the Raiders' front office.
Every Raiders player entering their final game under contract in Las Vegas
But the first concrete order of business will be addressing needs in free agency, and more importantly, deciding what to do with players currently on the roster in Las Vegas whose contracts are expiring at the beginning of the 2026 league year.
Let's take a look at every pending free agent on the current roster who will be playing their last game under contract for the Raiders, at least for right now, in Week 18's contest against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
Kenny Pickett, QB
Raheem Mostert, RB
Zamir White, RB
Tyler Lockett, WR
Dylan Parham, G
Jordan Meredith, C (RFA)
Will Putnam, C (ERFA)
Stone Forsythe, OT
Malcolm Koonce, DE
Charles Snowden, DE (ERFA)
Thomas Booker IV, DT (RFA)
Brodric Martin, DT (ERFA)
Elandon Roberts, LB
Jamal Adams, LB
Devin White, LB
Eric Stokes, CB
Kyu Blu Kelly, CB (RFA)
Darnay Holmes, CB
Tristin McCollum, S (RFA)
Lonnie Johnson Jr., S
Daniel Carlson, K
Jacob Bobenmoyer, LS
First, let's clarify a few things. There are unrestricted free agents, which are the most common kind, restricted free agents (RFA), and exclusive rights free agents (ERFA). Each one carries a unique set of rules, or lack thereof, and the Raiders have players who fall into each category.
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An unrestricted free agent is free to sign with whomever they would like, starting at 1 p.m. PST on March 11. They must abide by the NFL's set of tampering rules and restrictions, but other than that, they have no limitations on where they can go.
Restricted free agents are players with three accrued seasons and an expiring contract. This player can negotiate with other teams, but Las Vegas would have a chance to make a qualifying offer. This player still has the freedom to leave, but the Raiders would receive compensation if they do.
Exclusive rights free agents, however, are a bit more controlled. If "tendered" by the Raiders, which means given an offer, this player does not have the freedom to leave. Las Vegas has exclusive rights to him, so he would stay on the team and is not allowed to negotiate with others.
It will be interesting to see which players the Raiders intend to keep around in free agency, and which players from other buildings they look to pursue with over $100 million in salary cap space. Hopefully, a few key players stick around, but new faces in this locker room might do some good.