Once upon a time, the Las Vegas Raiders had an incredibly talented roster that was showing signs of life under an interim coach. Despite an injury to their star running back, the rushing attack was kept alive by a surprising second-year player.
Zamir White looked like a potential workhorse back at the end of the 2023 season, as he totaled 397 yards and two 100-yard outings in the final four games. Some buzz naturally surrounded him heading into last year, but that quickly landed with a thud as he dramatically underperformed and then a quad injury sidelined him for the season after playing just eight games.
That late run in 2023 feels like an eternity ago for Raiders fans who hoped that White was a suitable replacement for Josh Jacobs. He has been moved down the depth chart this offseason by Ashton Jeanty and Raheem Mostert, and it is not a reach to say that other running backs have more upside.
Zamir White's days as a Raider are already numbered
Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox released a list of each NFL team's most obvious candidate to be cut before the 2025 NFL season. For him, White was the obvious choice for the Raiders.
"However, White struggled last season before landing on injured reserve with a quad injury," Knox wrote. "With rookie first-round pick Ashton Jeanty set to handle an every-down role—and free-agent addition Raheem Mostert behind him—White could be on the way out."
Regardless of whether he remains on the roster or not, White is not poised to have any kind of role for the Raiders in 2025. He will be buried on the roster behind several other players, and it may be best for him to find a change of scenery.
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Early in the offseason, reports indicated that the Raiders may be willing to trade White in exchange for a late-round pick. That was rooted in the assumption that the team would invest premier draft capital in a running back or add a veteran player at the position in free agency. Both of these things happened, pushing White further out of the picture.
At 25 years old, youth is still on White's side just enough that someone may be willing to part with a Day 3 draft pick for him at some point. It's fair to assume that if he's still on the roster, he will be showcased by the Raiders during preseason games with exactly that idea in mind.
One way or the other, including the strong possibility of him being cut, White's days with the Silver and Black are numbered.