Las Vegas Raiders 2026 Offseason Outlook

The Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 1 road victory last season over the New England Patriots may have been the most unlikely and misleading outcome of any game in any season in NFL history. For a fleeting moment, it seemed the Raiders were brilliant for hiring soon-to-be 74-year-old Pete Caroll as their new head coach, and just maybe Las Vegas was going to be a factor in the AFC West. After that game, however, both teams did a complete 180. The Patriots won 14 of their remaining 16 games and advanced to Super Bowl LX. The Raiders, meanwhile, lost 14 of their remaining 16 games to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Carroll was let go after one season. Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator was hired as the new head coach, and it seems a foregone conclusion the Raiders will use the No. 1 pick in the draft to select Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza as their new franchise quarterback.

If that wasn’t enough of a seismic shift for the franchise, the other major story of the offseason for Las Vegas is the fate of superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby. After notching 69.5 sacks in his first seven seasons with the Raiders, there’s a chance he’ll get traded before next season begins. Stay tuned.

2025 recap

Carroll brought in veteran Geno Smith to take over at quarterback for the Raiders in 2025, and it was an unmitigated disaster. Smith completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns and a league-leading 17 interceptions. It didn’t help that tight end Brock Bowers, after a record-setting rookie season in 2024, missed a chunk of the season due toi injury. Running back Ashton Jeanty, the sixth overall pick in the 2025 draft, struggled early but did show his promise. Jeanty ended up with 1,321 yards from scrimmage (975 rushing, 346 receiving) and 10 total touchdowns. Problem is, Bowers and Jeanty combined for 35% of the Raiders’ total receptions last season, underscoring how thin the wide receiver corps was. Even thinner when you consider that Jakobi Meyers had 33 receptions for Las Vegas before he got traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Overall the Raiders finished dead last in total offense and scoring offense.

The Raiders’ defense, meanwhile, finished 14th in yards allowed and 25th in scoring. They allowed 30 or more points eight times. While Crosby has 10 sacks, the team’s total was middle of the pack. Without many play-makers in the secondary, Las Vegas had only eight interceptions, tied for sixth-fewest in the league.

Key free agents

DE Malcolm Koonce
QB Kenny Pickett
K Daniel Carlson
CB Eric Stokes
RB Raheem Mostert
S Jamal Adams

Raiders salary cap space

$91,522,807

2026 draft needs

While the Raiders likely will address their most glaring need by taking Mendoza with the first overall pick, this team can use as many picks as it can get. That’s one reason why some still think they should trade Crosby and stock up on young additions. Whether or not that happens, the Raiders should be looking to bolster their offensive and defensive lines, and find a productive receiver that can at least take pressure off Bowers and Jeanty.

2026 opponents

Home:Denver, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers, Buffalo, L.A. Rams, Miami, Seattle, Tennessee

Away:Denver, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers, Arizona, Cleveland, New England, New Orleans, N.Y. Jets, San Francisco