The Las Vegas Raiders entered the 2025 NFL season with the expectation that they would compete for a playoff spot. Pete Carroll made it clear that he had the intention of turning things around and winning in his first season with the franchise.
That has hardly played out, as the Raiders sit at 2-5 and appear destined for yet another rebuild, as there are far too many holes on the roster. While the franchise has made it clear they won't trade Maxx Crosby, they are still expected to be sellers ahead of the November 4 trade deadline.
Las Vegas' need to rebuild, combined with Carroll being the oldest coach in NFL history at 74, has led to suggestions that the franchise should make yet another coaching change in the offseason. Mark Davis recently made it clear he plans to be patient with the staff, and he is right to do exactly that.
Mark Davis continues to express patience with Raiders' staff
Davis told Raiders reporters that he learned from his experience being patient with the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces. He reiterated that stance in a conversation with The Athletic's Dianna Russini.
"It's too early to be making these harsh reality decisions," Davis said of a regime change. "Results are what speak to me, and we're in the middle of the season."
While Carroll is far closer to the end of his coaching career than the beginning, patience is the right way to approach things. The head coach inherited a team that won just four games last season, and while he deserves some blame for the decision to bring in Geno Smith, nobody could've predicted the quarterback would play this poorly.
The Raiders' roster lacks the talent to overcome Smith's shortcomings and injuries to key offensive standouts like Kolton Miller and Brock Bowers. Additionally, it takes more than one offseason for a coaching staff and general manager to implement their vision.
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Carroll has proven that he is capable of bringing a franchise back to relevance, as even his success with the Seattle Seahawks took some time. Meanwhile, John Spytek has been in the front office of two Super Bowl winners in the past, and he has plenty of cap space to work with this offseason.
Carroll is the franchise's fifth head coach in the past five seasons, and ninth since Davis took over in 2011. Spytek is also the fifth general manager in the past five years, while there have been seven general managers since Al Davis passed away.
The constant turnover has made it impossible to build a winning culture, as each regime comes with its own vision. This has led to the Raiders lacking continuity and constantly putting the team at a disadvantage.
Making yet another change after one season would do nothing to benefit the franchise, even if Carroll turns 75 early next season. Instead, Davis is taking the right approach by remaining patient and allowing the current regime the opportunity to build the roster and culture in their vision.