The Las Vegas Raiders have been a circus in recent years, just as unsuccessful on the field as they are eventful for the wrong reasons in the media. Pete Carroll was supposed to stop the show when he took over as head coach, but he simply became the new ringleader.
Fans held out hope for a team led by a Super Bowl champion coach with an incredible track record and tons of experience. But these five storylines from the 2025 NFL season show that things were doomed from the start, and they defined the ultimately 3-14 campaign.
Raiders' bizarre storylines gave a peek into how dysfunctional team was
1. Christian Wilkins' sudden departure
Still, so much is unknown about what led to Wilkins, the $110 million man, being cut during the offseason. In a way, fans can't blame the Raiders, as no other NFL team touched him with a 10-foot pole this season. But to lose an impact player like that at the onset of the season for no particular reason was a tough blow, and it gave an early inside look at Las Vegas' dysfunction.
2. The unwanted Jackson Powers-Johnson switcharoo
The minute that Brennan Carroll decided to move Powers-Johnson off the center position, Raider Nation wanted to stage a coup. They ended up being vindicated in their thinking, as the offensive line was a disaster this season. This displayed how inept Brennan Carroll was as a coach, but also Pete Carroll, who wouldn't hold his son accountable. This was one of many puzzling personnel choices.
3. Amari Cooper's short redemption campaign
It became increasingly clear throughout that season that Cooper took a few steps into the building, saw what was going on, and left. Michael Gallup did the same thing last year. Fans can't even blame Cooper, because who would have wanted to play for this version of the Raiders? Perhaps Cooper truly was done. But if he knew he was playing for a contender, he probably would have stuck around.
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4. Germaine Pratt's awkward exit
Raider Nation never really got more insight into Pratt's departure. He ended up starring for the Indianapolis Colts for the remainder of the season, and Pete Carroll kept things pretty hush-hush on this front. Trading him away would have been a better move for John Spytek, but it seems like they just flat-out wanted him out of the building. That makes two such players in a span of months.
5. Pete Carroll's infatuation with washed-up Seahawks
Unfortunately, this defined the season more than anything. It was emblematic of Carroll's insistence on staying in the past and not moving with the times, his blatant favoritism toward players he knew, and his inability to admit when he was wrong and make adjustments. Raider Nation thought the Patriot Way was bad. The Seahawk Way was even worse.