August 22, 2009; San Francisco, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Charlie Frye (3), quarterback JaMarcus Russell (2), and quarterback Jeff Garcia (7) walk off the field after the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Raiders 21-20. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Former Raiders QB Reflects on Difficult Times for the Franchise

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Jan 14, 2025 3:13 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have not found much success since coming to Vegas in 2020. Outside of the 2021-2022 season, the Raiders have missed the playoffs since arriving in the desert.

Over the two decades, the Raiders organization has not found a way to build consistent success. Since having successful seasons in the early 2000s, they have not found a way to go back to winning ways. Since making the Super Bowl in the 2002-2003 season, the franchise has not won a playoff game. They have only made the playoffs in the 2016 and 2021 seasons.

The Raiders quarterback position was a problem in the mid-2000s, and they thought they had finally gotten their guy, the next franchise quarterback.

The Raiders selected LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.

That went downhill for the organization quickly. The Russell selection is still talked about as being one of the worst in NFL history.

"I go to a situation where JaMarcus Russell is going into this third year, obviously number one draft pick by the Raiders in 2007, this is 2009, it is going to be his third season," said former Raiders quarterback Jeff Garica on the Willing to Fail Podcast. "I am thinking all right well I will go in they want me to metor him. Sure, I will be the veteran guy to help the young guy. I will push him."

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"But then you go in and you see what the culture is all about. The guy does not want to work. He does not want to be mentor, he does not want to challenge himself. He does not want to take on a leadership role. He is not doing the things that you need to do at this level in order to be successful."

"And for me, watching that and be part of that was very frustrating. I felt like I still had the ability to be a starting quarterback in the National Football League. I had just come out of being a starter in Tampa Bay. The only thing reasons change in Tampa Bay was that I was only under a two-year contract, so my contact was over and they fired Jon Gruden ... I signed with the Oakland Raiders. And I am out there in Oakland. I am going through the offseason workouts, I am going through training camp, and I am like, I should be starting for this football team."

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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