Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly (left) with head coach Pete Carroll against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

One Nightmare Scenario For Raiders Entering 2025

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The potential for the 2025 Las Vegas Raiders is potent, with them being a dark-horse team to contend for a wild spot in the playoffs. This will be their first year under new head coach Pete Carroll, and he brings with him a winning culture wherever he goes.

Nobody really knows what's in store for the Raiders next season, because there are so many variables to consider. Ashton Jeanty was a phenom during college, but is his preseason tape an indicator of what's to come?

Geno Smith is undoubtedly the best quarterback they've had in years, but is he enough of a talent upgrade to contend with some of the upper echelon of teams in the NFL? Will their incoming rookies be able to play right away, or will they have learning pains?

Bold Prediction

While we won't know the answers to these questions until late in the season, it's never too early to make some bold predictions. ESPN released its team previews, and for the Raiders, their bold prediction for next season will be that the Raiders' success will lead to Chip Kelly becoming a head coach.

"Kelly will be an NFL head coach in 2026. OK, technically that isn't a bold prediction for 2025, but there's no way Kelly will land another head coaching job unless his Raiders offense in 2025 does well. Once it does, owners will zoom out and look at that, his success at Ohio State, his time as UCLA's head coach and parts of his previous NFL tenure and think: That's a pretty good résumé!"

This bold prediction stems from the fact that Kelly is coming back into the NFL after winning a championship with the Ohio State Buckeyes. If he shows that his stellar offensive scheme and dominance on the ground can translate to the NFL, there are a bunch of teams that'd be interested in having him as their next head coach.

If this were to happen, this would be a blow to the Raiders and the continuity of their coaching staff, as this prediction is based on the idea that he'd be wildly successful in 2025. However, if he were to be successful enough to land a head coaching job, I'd feel that some of that credit was to come from the excellence of Jeanty.

It's called a bold prediction for a reason, and while I believe this is unlikely to happen, I do believe the Raiders will find a lot of success on the ground thanks to Jeanty and Kelly's scheme.

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

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