Since reaching Super Bowl XXXVII during the 2004 NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders franchise has made the playoffs just twice. Since Mark Davis took over as the owner, the team is just 91-139. The luster of the Silver and Black has faded, and "Just Win, Baby" has become a dusty old catch-phrase.
Last season was a particularly low point for Las Vegas, with three of their four wins coming against Deshaun Watson, Mac Jones and Spencer Rattler as the opposing starting quarterbacks. No NFL team needed a culture overhaul more than the Raiders this offseason.
Leading that culture shift is head coach Pete Carroll. He will turn 74 years old on Sept. 15, but you would not know it when you see what he does at practice. If he could put on a uniform and do some live hitting, it feels like he would do it.
Raiders' supposed biggest problem is not a problem at all
While he appears to be nowhere close to done coaching, the foundation Carroll is laying now could sustain past his tenure as the Raiders' head coach. In some sense, that's the reason he was hired: to change the culture and the mindset of players, with the hopes that this will stick for years to come.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report has outlined the biggest problem for each NFL team going into Week 1. For the Raiders, he went with "Substantial change (again)."
"This isn't new for the Raiders, who are on their fourth head coach (Pete Carroll) since 2021 and their fourth Week 1 starting quarterback (Geno Smith) in as many years. They also brought back Amari Cooper, who suddenly retired before the start of the season, and they shockingly released Christian Wilkins one year after handing him a huge contract," Gagnon wrote. "Smith's returning backup, Aidan O'Connell, is out long-term, paving the way for a midsummer Kenny Pickett trade. They'll work under new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. And there was a ton of turnover deeper on the depth chart as well. Outlook: It's just...a lot. But the early-season schedule is fairly soft. If they can get through that and their core can stay healthy and productive, the Raiders can overcome this. It won't be easy, but there is plenty of talent on this top-heavy roster."
Gagnon's point about the rapid turnover in Las Vegas this offseason is well taken, but he neglects to include the fact that these changes were necessary after a brutally embarrassing four-win campaign in 2024.
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Cooper's sudden retirement continued an oddly troubling trend for the Raiders at the wide receiver position. But Tashan Reed of The Athletic also reported that the veteran was not impressive during practice after signing in late August. Sometimes, things just don't work out as hoped.
Gagnon seems to have also forgotten that this new Raiders regime was not the one that gave Wilkins a huge contract. The situation that led to his release did, however, send an undeniable message about how the culture has changed in Las Vegas.
O'Connell's preseason wrist injury forced a move for a new backup quarterback, which yielded the late trade for Kenny Pickett. So, that also wasn't a change without reason.
Time will tell how all the changes the Raiders have made will work out. But it was all necessary, and some of it in recent weeks and months was unavoidable. As far as serious problems go, having a lot of change from a long-running culture of losing is simply not one.