Jun 11, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll runs down the field during Las Vegas Raiders Minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Raiders Need to Gain Respect Next Season

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders want to get back to their winning ways next season. Since coming to Las Vegas, the Raiders have not done a whole lot of winning. That is something that they want to change, and that is why they brought in head coach Pete Carroll to help them do that. The Raiders have also made a lot of changes on both sides of the ball to get the team where they want to be.

Next season, the Raiders should be more competitive and win way more games than they did in 2024. They traded for veteran quarterback Geno Smith, who will lead the offense both on and off the field next season. The Raiders also drafte d rookie running back Ashton Jeanty in the 2025 NFL Draft to boost their running game, which was not a good one last season.

But these Raiders teams in recent years have not been Raiders teams that we have seen in their history that other teams do not like playing. That used to be the fear that the Raiders used to instill in their opponents. Even if they would not always come out on top, you would know after the game that you did not want to play the Raiders. And now they will try to do that next season.

The Raiders, by winning more games and playing better football next season, will be a team that the teams will respect. As of now, they are not doing that.

Our Hondo Carpenter talked about the Raiders gaining respect next season on a recent episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast."

"One of the things that has been instilled with the Raiders, and it helps, was you may lose some games if you are the Raiders," said Carpenter. "But everyone is going to fill it and know that they played you. It was an element of toughness. It was an element of we are going to play you. We are going to make a coaching decision that outsmarts you."

"I think nine wins are going to help them garner respect. But it is also going to be in other ways. Of how they handle their business, how they take care of things ... The respect they gained in 2023, they lost."

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

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