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Raiders preseason schedule revealed, including marquee first matchup

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Derek Hegna | Last updated May 20, 2025 1:49 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders will get the chance to tune up their game and prepare to start the Pete Carroll era off right.

On Monday, the Raiders announced the dates and times of their three preseason games in August before they kick off the season against the New England Patriots on Sept. 7. The Raiders will face three teams from the NFC West in the slate, where fans will get a first look at how Carroll will run the team on the field.

Fittingly enough, the first team on the docket is one Carroll is familiar with already, when the Raiders face the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, Aug. 7 in Seattle. It will be somewhat of a homecoming for Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith, although the latter is unlikely to play much in the contest, if at all.

Next, the Raiders return home for their lone preseason contest at Allegiant Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, Aug. 16. According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, the Raiders will also be hosting a joint practice with the 49ers before the matchup.

49ers at Raiders preseason game now scheduled for August 16th at 1 p.m. … AND it’s expected that they will have a one-day joint practice on the 14th.

— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) May 19, 2025

Finally, the Raiders head back on the road to Glendale to face the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, Aug. 23 before making their final roster decisions and preparing to kick off the season.

These contests will be pivotal in seeing what elements of Carroll’s time in Seattle will be present in Las Vegas. The games also provide on-field evidence on which players can perform well, even if they are more often facing backups. Still, a strong preseason can be the launching point for someone on the roster bubble to snag a spot on the 53-man roster.

The Raiders will soon find out just how Carroll’s team will function on game days.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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