Raiders Have Potential to Take the Offense to New Heights

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The biggest question for the Raiders heading into the new season is what the offense is going to look like. Not in terms of what players are going to be starting, but in terms of what system they are running. People are going to be looking at whether they have a smooth transition from the offseason into the regular season, or if the offense is going to need a few games to get comfortable with all the moving pieces they had this offseason.

The good news for the Raiders is that they got a much-improved offense, and it is led by veterans who know how to handle an offense and run one. The Raiders went after veteran quarterback Geno Smith via trade this offseason. Smith is the right fit for the Raiders, and he has been the quarterback that the team has been looking for. The Raiders will benefit from having Smith under center this season.

The Raiders are pairing Smith with veteran offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Kelly is coming over from the college ranks, where he won a National Championship with Ohio State as their offensive coordinator. But Kelly is well-known for his offense in the National Football League. Now he is back, looking to make the Raiders offense look good this season, and he has a quarterback who will know how to run his offense.

This pairing is expected to do good things for the Silver and Black. They both know that they have to go prove it on the field by winning games this season.

"I do not know if it is the perfect match, it remains to be seen," said Robert Turbin on CBS Sports. "We do know that Chip Kelly is a very dynamic play caller on the offensive side of the football. Very creative in terms of how he schemes the guys open and really good at utilizing who he has from a personnel standpoint to the best of their ability on offense."

"This is a role that he was seeking. He did not want the head coaching role anymore. He just wanted to be on the offensive side, calling plays. He got a guy who is mature at the quarterback position, something that the Raiders needed. He got a guy who has won a lot at that position, and from that standpoint, there is potential.