The Las Vegas Raiders struggled mightily last season as their 4-13 record earned them the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They hired general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll this offseason in hopes that they can change the culture and establish a winning identity.
Geno Smith was acquired to provide stability to the quarterback position, while Ashton Jeanty was drafted to revitalize a running game that ranked last in the NFL in yards. Defensively, there were plenty of changes as the new brass moved on from all of last year's Week 1 starters at linebacker and in the secondary.
While many believe the Raiders are still a year away from contention, former defensive tackle Gerald McCoy sees things differently. The six-time Pro Bowler, who spent the final year of his career with Las Vegas, labeled the Raiders as his pick to be a sneaky team in 2025.
Gerald McCoy lists Raiders as 'sneaky' team due to Pete Carroll hire
The Raiders have plenty to prove this season. However, the main order of business is establishing a winning culture in Las Vegas. Since reaching the Super Bowl in 2002, their 128-228 record is the second-worst in the league. Additionally, the franchise has just two winning seasons in that span.
While most pundits have written Las Vegas off before the season even starts, McCoy sees things differently. The three-time All-Pro appeared on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Monday, where he was asked who he believes will be a sneaky team in 2025.
"The Raiders. Pete Carroll, he's a ten-win coach. It's just what he does. It's some people, this is what they do. It may not be glamorous or whatever, but this is just what they do. ... Pete Carroll's one of them guys with ten wins. He knows how to win. He has a formula. He runs the ball, physical run game. He had Marshawn Lynch, you go get Ashton Jeanty," McCoy said. "You go out and get a quarterback that you know can play, that's a vet that you don't have to teach him. He's won some games, made the playoffs, Geno Smith. You already have Brock Bowers. You go draft offensive linemen so you can run the ball and be physical. Your receivers, they can take the top off the defense. Maxx Crosby's on the other side. I know with John Spytek, the GM, I was with him in Tampa. I know his philosophy and how he builds teams. I just believe that this team is going to shock a lot of people with the things they can do, with the formula they have. Pete Carroll's just a winner."
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McCoy added that the Raiders' new head coach fits the city of Las Vegas perfectly, reflecting on being recruited to the USC Trojans when Carroll was leading the program. His last coaching job came with the Seattle Seahawks, whom he led from 2010-2023.
The franchise had a 137-89-1 record and reached two Super Bowls, winning one, during his time leading the Seahawks. From 2012 through the end of his tenure, Seattle had just one losing season, which came in 2021.
While the Raiders play in one of the NFL's toughest divisions, the roster certainly has the pieces to be competitive in 2025. This vote of confidence from a former star player should help ease Raider Nation's tensions heading into the season.