The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2025 season has forced uncomfortable conversations about the franchise’s direction, and none loom larger than whether the team is headed for a full rebuild.
That question was posed directly to head coach Pete Carroll following Week 16, and his response offered a rare glimpse into how he views both the challenge and his own future in Las Vegas.
After the Raiders’ narrow 23-21 loss to the Houston Texans, a game that unexpectedly showed signs of offensive life. Carroll was asked if he wanted to see a potential rebuild through. The question carried weight, especially given Carroll’s age and the team’s ongoing struggles.
“I would love to. It's going to be challenging,” said coach Carroll. “It's a taxing challenge for us, but yeah, I really like this place and and I like this team and and I like I love working with Johnny [GM John Spytek], and it's just mapping it out and putting it together and making sure that we bring people in, that can really help us and challenge and compete with the guys that we have and just let that whole process take shape. It's just unfortunate that there's not five or six or seven or eight wins in here that should have accompanied this season right now, you know, and it blows me away that this is the situation that we're in, because I have no space in my brain for this. But, no, maybe it had to be this hard. I don't know. We'll see.”
Carroll’s comments came after one of the Raiders’ more competitive showings in weeks. Despite entering the game amid a nine-game losing streak, Las Vegas pushed a hot Texans team to the final whistle. It marked their most productive offensive effort since Week 9, offering a brief pause from the 31-0 humiliation they suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles just one week earlier.
The Raiders hired Carroll to stabilize a franchise that cycled through Antonio Pierce and Josh McDaniels without sustained progress. His resume created optimism that he could engineer a turnaround, but results have lagged.
At 2-13, Las Vegas is tied for the league’s worst record, and questions persist about whether Carroll fits a rebuild that could span several seasons.
Criticism has also followed Carroll’s reliance on veterans over younger players, a questionable approach for a team clearly out of contention. With two games remaining, the Raiders must decide whether incremental progress is enough or if a more drastic reset is required.
