The Las Vegas Raiders' 2025 NFL season has been a lost cause for nearly two months. While Pete Carroll has continuously expressed optimism that the team would turn things around, it has been obvious to those paying attention that that wouldn't be the case.
Las Vegas sits at 2-12, riding an eight-game losing streak after Sunday's 31-0 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, where they mustered just 75 yards of total offense. Ironically, that losing streak began with a 31-0 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that the team had 95 yards of total offense.
Despite the offensive line's struggles, the Raiders' coaching staff has been reluctant to turn to rookies Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant. The former, however, has finally gotten an opportunity over the past three weeks and has shown signs that he can be an impact player down the line.
Grant finally got his chance in Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles, and he showed his stuff, too.
Raiders must allow Charles Grant to play over the last three weeks
After weeks of being told that Rogers was not ready to see the field, he has proven the coaching staff wrong in his limited action. The rookie has posted a 66.0 Pro Football Focus grade, while his pass block grade and run block grade sit at 74.7 and 57.9, respectively.
Despite his strong play, the team has yet to give Grant, whom they selected one pick after Rogers, an opportunity. He did play a career-high five snaps in jumbo packages on Sunday, and he had this massive block on Eagles edge rusher Jaelen Phillips, which drew plenty of praise.
Pete Carroll gave a fairly positive review of Grant's performance during his press conference on Monday, but the rookie was not above some minor criticisms.
"I did like his aggressiveness. I thought he looked tough. He finished well, too. He kept his feet moving and drove the guy off the football a couple times. It looked pretty good," Carroll said. "Made a couple mistakes and all, but I thought -- we would like to see how we can find a way to use him."
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Carroll even remotely criticizing Grant for mistakes in a game where he played just five offensive snaps shows the head coach is missing the mark. Las Vegas' offensive line has struggled all year, yet Carroll has shown grace to many of the culprits who are responsible for the unit's struggles.
In particular, he has praised Stone Forsythe, who has given up 11.5 sacks in just eight games. But Forsythe was with Carroll in Seattle, so he gets a pass. Grant, however, is an inexperienced rookie and should be expected to have growing pains. But he is held to a higher standard.
Las Vegas' offensive tackles, Forsythe and DJ Glaze, are two of just three offensive linemen to allow at least 10 sacks this season. It is particularly embarrassing when considering the former played just a single snap in pass protection before Week 5.
While Glaze is just 23 years old and in his second season in the league, Forsythe is 27 and in his fifth year. The latter surely won't be back in 2026, particularly if Carroll does not return. It is time for Grant to get the opportunity to play meaningful snaps ahead of him, not just in jumbo packages.
If the rookie struggles, the experience will be valuable for him going forward. If, however, he shows that, similar to Rogers, he is a future building block on the offensive line, the Raiders will have one less need to address in the upcoming offseason.