Why the Raiders Can Be Patient, Despite Win-Now Moves

The Las Vegas Raiders have had an interesting approach to rebuilding the team ahead of the 2025 season. 

Ownership was sick of seeing losing seasons, so it hired a head coach and general manager who had contributed to winning on other teams. 

Pete Carroll and John Spytek helped their teams reach the peak of the football world with the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively. Raider Nation hopes they can do the same with the Silver and Black. 

The Raiders made multiple win-now moves after a four-win season that was hard to watch. There were times when the team looked like a rudderless ship, a shadow of the team that went to the playoffs in 2021. 

While some fans are expecting the Raiders to push for the playoffs this season, fans may want to lower their expectations, if only slightly. 

The Raiders can afford to be patient this season and rebuild. That word scares fans who feel like the team has been rebuilding for three years, but it doesn’t entail exactly what they think. 

This is the first year of the new regime, including a new coach, general manager, and quarterback. It is unfair to expect the team to have everything together in the first year. 

That may sound backward considering the win-now moves the team attempted to make this offseason. Geno Smith is 34 years old, while Carroll is 73. 

Fans want immediate results from those two, considering their history and winning pedigree together. However, several other elements of the Raiders’ roster do not make them a short-term fix. 

The Raiders are relying on many young players to be important contributors in 2025, which does not bode well for immediate results. 

Those players do not know how to win yet, but if they show flashes of talent and competitiveness, the season will be a success. 

Raider Nation does not want to hear that. They’re sick of seeing losses and encouraging plays from rookies and young players and thinking, ‘Well, that will have to be enough for now.’ 

But that’s just the reality of the situation. Sure, they have Smith and Carroll and a couple of other veterans, but by and large, this team is not ready to win or compete in the AFC. 

If young players flash, fans should be encouraged. Smith and Carroll will still be on the team next season, when the young players will better know how to win. 

Just hang tight, Raider Nation.

Don't forget to follow us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and stay up to date on our coverage of the Las Vegas Raiders and their season outlook.