The Las Vegas Raiders are entering an exciting time for the franchise. Even if the team is not great this year, the fan base has confidence in the new leadership tandem to eventually get them there, which they have not had with previous regimes.
General manager John Spytek put together a promising roster for the Silver and Black ahead of the 2025 NFL season, and Pete Carroll is the perfect coach to help them reach their potential. While training camp has given Raider Nation a taste, the fan base is ready to see the team in action.
On Thursday, the team will travel to Seattle to play the Seahawks, Carroll and Geno Smith's old team, in their first preseason tilt. While it will be exciting to see many of the team's new players in action, Carroll's preseason history indicates that not many starters will play, especially in the first game.
Pete Carroll's preseason history shows Raiders fans should not expect to see much Geno Smith
During Carroll's last season with the Seahawks, Smith only threw six passes during the preseason, and they all came in the second game. Russell Wilson threw very little in the preseason during his heyday as the starter in Seattle as well, so fans should not expect Smith to play all that much, if at all.
It is possible that Carroll has slightly adjusted his mindset and approach, given that it is a different situation in Las Vegas. There is a chance that Carroll wants to see all the moving pieces fit together in a real setting, but the team had a mock game on Saturday and has joint practices the following week.
If Raider Nation is going to see Smith in action, it is more likely to be in Week 2 of the preseason against the San Francisco 49ers on the heels of the two teams' joint practices. Then, the surefire starters will likely skip the third preseason game against the Cardinals, as Carroll has done in the past.
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Carroll will likely play the rookies a good amount, even projected starters like Ashton Jeanty, Darien Porter and Dont'e Thornton Jr. But, it should mostly be players fighting for roster spots or in the midst of a position battle.
This means the fan base should prepare to see every interior line combination of Jackson Powers-Johnson, Alex Cappa and Jordan Meredith as the bitter, yet unexpected, competition wages on. The linebacker group and defensive tackle positions could see key players participate as well, given the unsettled nature of who will start and rotate in.
All of this is subject to change, as Carroll has not yet spoken to the media or announced his plan for Thursday's game. However, reports have indicated that the Seahawks will not play most of their starters, and it would be a shock to see Carroll both defy history and not follow suit with his old team.