It's no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders have been outmatched in most of their games during the 2025 NFL season. A lot of that has been due to poor coaching and preparation, which was remedied by the firings of special teams coordinator Tom McMahon and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
But parting ways with those two coaches hasn't exactly been a cure-all. The Raiders' continued struggles without those two key assistants in the building have cast a brighter spotlight on the job that head coach Pete Carroll is doing, as well as his two sons, who are assistants on the staff.
Carroll remains endlessly positive, however, almost to a frustrating extent. First-year general manager John Spytek also got a lot of praise for how he managed the offseason, even though the team has been a disaster in 2025. It begs the question of what exactly is going wrong in Las Vegas.
Pete Carroll didn't hold back on Raiders' lack of talent
Well, Carroll seems to think that he knows the answer to that question. During Monday's press conference, the veteran coach was asked about Maxx Crosby's attitude and approach, and how that inspires the rest of the team. Carroll took his answer in a bizarre direction.
"That's the messaging that we try to send through all of our players. And he's a great illustration of what we're talking about," Carroll said. "But not everybody has the same ability as Maxx. Not everybody is as talented as him. Maxx has proven that over a long time. And so we need more players that can play close to that kind of level."
It's certainly interesting for Carroll to take a question about Crosby's relentlessness and his leadership skills, and essentially start talking about how the Raiders need more talented players. He's not slighting Spytek here, but merely making an ill-advised observation about his team.
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While some fans can appreciate the brutal honesty, most are probably feeling like these comments are a bit out of line, even if they are true. This was no accident, either, as Carroll was asked about Brock Bowers' ability later in the press conference, and he made another similar comment.
"[Bowers and Crosby] stand out because they continue to play at a really high level," Carroll said. "Well, that's what we're trying to get, is more guys that can do that, play along with them."
Okay, Coach Carroll, your point has been made. It doesn't take a genius to spot that Las Vegas' roster isn't exactly chock-full of talent, but that is not necessarily something that the head coach should be saying out loud to the media.
It is also the job of the coaching staff to develop the players on the roster. There are very few Raiders players who have either improved throughout the season or are playing at a higher level than they were a year ago, before Carroll took over.
Yes, this Raiders team lacks talent. There aren't many players in the building who would be surefire starters on most other NFL rosters. But more than that, Las Vegas also has no guidance or direction, which falls squarely on the coaching staff, as most of the Raiders' issues have this year.