The Las Vegas Raiders definitely have a lot of expectations put on them for the 2025 season, especially with the arrival of coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith this offseason.
The Raiders posted their worst record since the 2018 season last year, finishing at the bottom of the AFC West standings with a 4-13 record. With new leadership in the building, the Raiders are hopeful to improve from last year's struggles.
Carroll, though, doesn't want the NFL world to take it easy on the Raiders as they navigate a transition year. He thinks they're already prepared to prove NFL fans what they're capable of, months before the season even begins.
"A lot of expectations for us. We're going for it. We're not holding back," Carroll said on Monday, via Around the NFL's Jeremy Bergman. "We're not looking for anyone to give us a grace period or any of that kind of stuff. That's not how we're going about this. We're going to get it right now."
We'll see how the Raiders do in 2025 and if the team can live up to Carroll's words. They do have a pretty tough division, all of whom made the playoffs last year—the Kansas City Chiefs (who have been to five Super Bowls in the last six seasons) the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos.
Las Vegas' goal should be at least to put up a winning record this year, which would be a major improvement from last year. And, they haven't had a winning record since 2021. Check back in January to see if Carroll's goals for the team have been fulfilled.
Carroll isn't used to finishing with losing records very often as he's only ended a year with a losing record four times out of 18 seasons as a head coach. The worst record was 6-10 with the New York Jets in 1994, meaning the Raiders' 2024 season was worse than any records he ever has had.
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