The Las Vegas Raiders have long been a black hole for NFL talent, sucking in superstars and spitting out shells of their former selves. Over the last 20 years, the team’s 120-206 record since 2005 – the league’s second-worst – proves it: Oakland and now Vegas is where careers flatline.
Just look at Randy Moss, traded in after a Pro Bowl run with Minnesota, only to post a career-worst 2006 before fleeing to New England for a ring. Or Davante Adams, a three-time All-Pro who piled up yards but drowned in team dysfunction.
Fast-forward to 2025: Geno Smith, the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year, sits at No. 26 in HeyTC’s Daily QB Rankings with a subpar 20.50 rating after 10 picks in five starts. Teamed with 73-year-old Pete Carroll, fresh off Seattle glory, the duo’s 2-4 skid screams validation. Here’s the deal – the Raiders don’t build winners; they bury them.
Superstars Flock to Silver and Black – Then Fade to Gray
Talent chases the spotlight, but in Vegas, it dims fast. The Raiders’ allure – that pirate swagger, the “Just Win, Baby” echo – draws vets hunting one last hurrah. Reality hits like a blindside blitz.
- Randy Moss (2005-06): Explosive in Minnesota (1,200+ yards four straight years), Moss arrived via trade and notched 1,005 yards in ’05. By ’06? A league-worst nine drops, per Pro Football Reference, and he was gone. Moss later called it a “wrong fit,” but the numbers don’t lie: his yards per catch plummeted from 15.7 to 11.9.
- Davante Adams (2022-24): A Green Bay legend with 1,498 yards in 2021, Adams joined Vegas for a monster $140 million deal. He delivered 1,516 yards in ’22, but the Raiders went 6-11. By ’24, his visible frustration – trade demands surfaced. Elite stats, buried by team turmoil.
- Trent Brown (2019-20): A Super Bowl champ with New England, Brown’s Raiders stints were plagued by injuries and inconsistency. In ’19, he started 11 games but allowed 3.5 sacks (high for him). His Pro Bowl pedigree faded fast.
- LaMarcus Joyner (2019-20): Fresh off a Rams playoff run, Joyner signed for $42 million. Result? By ’20, he was benched, a far cry from his 2017 All-Pro buzz. Released, then irrelevant.
These aren’t flukes. Since 2005, 14 Pro Bowlers joined the Raiders mid-career; only three (like Derrick Burgess) left unscathed. The rest? Productivity craters. Why? Coaching carousel chaos and a culture that rewards grit over scheme. Raiders talent gets exposed, not elevated.
Al Davis’s Fire Forged Raiders Glory – His Absence Ignited the Inferno
Al Davis didn’t just own the Raiders; he embodied them – maverick, unyielding, visionary. From 1963 to 2011, his “Commitment to Excellence” delivered three Super Bowls, 15 division titles, and a .574 winning clip. Davis broke barriers: first Latino head coach (Tom Flores), first Black head coach modern era (Art Shell). He sued the NFL to move to L.A. in 1982, won, then boomeranged back to Oakland in ’95. Raiders fans packed the Coliseum because Davis made rebellion profitable.
Then, October 8, 2011: Davis dies at 82. The spark flickers out. Post-Davis, the Raiders’ record plunged to 58-125 through 2024 – dead last in the AFC West. Mark Davis, inheriting at 58, lacked his father’s football DNA. No more gut calls on drafts like JaMarcus Russell (a bust, sure, but bold). Instead, a parade of interim GMs and coaches: seven head men since 2011, zero playoff wins. CNBC pegged the franchise value at $9.3 billion in 2025, yet on-field? A 4-13 slog last year. Davis’s fire built empires; without it, the Raiders smolder.
Post-Al Era: A Graveyard of GMs and Gridiron Gambles
Here’s the bottom line: Next-gen ownership breeds hesitation, not hunger. Mark Davis, self-made in real estate but green in pigskin, chased splashy hires – Jon Gruden’s $100 million flop (22-31 from 2018-21) – over steady builds. The 2025 offseason? A $75 million extension for Geno Smith after trading a third-rounder to Seattle. Bold? Or desperate?
Counterpoint: Pete Carroll’s hire screams savvy. The 74-year-old culture wizard turned Seahawks into contenders (10-7 average, Super Bowl XLVIII). Paired with GM John Spytek’s draft hauls – RB Ashton Jeanty (sixth overall, 497 scrimmage yards already) – this could flip the script. But early returns? A 2-4 hole, with losses exposing offensive line woes (Jordan Meredith’s first year at center) and rookie WR reliance (Tre Tucker,). Carroll’s always-win energy clashes with Vegas’s vacation vibe.
Geno Smith: From Seattle Savior to Vegas Victim
Geno Smith torched doubters in Seattle – 70.4% completion in 2024, 4,320 yards, Pro Bowl nods in ’22-’23. HeyTC ranked him top-15 preseason. Now? No. 26, “Delulu” label, subpar across season, fantasy, playoffs. Through six games: 66% complete, 1,350 yards, seven TDs, 10 picks (league-high). Week 2’s three-INT disaster vs. Chargers? Brutal.
Blame the scheme? Chip Kelly’s OC import demands pocket presence Geno once owned. But with TEs Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer sidelined (knee injuries), targets scatter to unproven arms. True, but Raiders’ red-zone efficiency ranks 28th (per Pro Football Reference). At 34, this isn’t a blip – it’s a burial plot.
Pete Carroll’s Desert Mirage: Wisdom or Withering End?
Carroll’s resume dazzles: 172-124-1 regular season, two national titles at USC, Seahawks dynasty architect. Hired January 2025 as the NFL’s oldest coach, he vowed unfinished business. Early? A Week 1 upset in Foxboro (20-13 over Pats, Geno’s 362 yards). Then, four straight Ls, including a 27-10 home thud to Titans. Carroll’s run-heavy ethos (Jeanty’s 22 touches/game lately) shines, but pass pro leaks like the Strip at dawn – 12 sacks allowed, tops in AFC West.
Breaking the Curse: Bright Spots Amid the Black Hole
Not all doom. Jeanty’s burst – three TDs, 4.0 yards/carry – echoes Marshawn Lynch under Carroll. Jakobi Meyers’ slot reliability (despite trade drama) adds glue. Defense, anchored by Crosby and Devin White, forces turnovers.
But here’s the rub: Raiders’ 22-year playoff win drought stares down an AFC West gauntlet. To escape the cemetery, Carroll must channel Davis’s defiance – scheme around Geno, not despite him. Otherwise, 2025 joins the tombstone tally.
| Player | Pre-Raiders Peak | Fate |
|---|---|---|
| Randy Moss | 1,632 yds (2003) | Traded for a 4th round pick |
| Davante Adams | 1,553 yds (2021) | Traded for a 3rd round pick |
| Trent Brown | Super Bowl (2018) | Traded for 5th round pick |
| LaMarcus Joyner | All-Pro buzz (2017) | Released |
The Raiders Rebuild: Desert Dreams or Mirage?
Silver linings exist, but the pattern persists. Jeanty’s rookie rush evokes Bo Jackson’s thunder, yet without QB stability, it’s fool’s gold. Carroll’s pressers pulse optimism, but 2-4 whispers regression. If Geno rebounds (under 2% INT rate career norm), playoffs lurk. Else? Another draft lottery.
Bottom Line: Raiders Rot Potentially Claims Another Duo
Geno and Pete arrived as saviors, but Vegas’s vortex pulls hard. Al Davis’s ghost demands fire; Mark’s era delivers fumes. Until ownership ignites real change – not just headlines – the Raiders remain the league’s final resting place. Can they rise? History bets no. But in the desert, miracles happen. Just win, baby? Or just wither?
FAQs
1. Has the Raiders’ “career killer” rep held up since moving to Vegas?
Yes, amplified. Post-2020, stars like Davante Adams (1,516 yds, 6-11 team) and Trent Brown highlight stagnation. Vegas’s 38-52 record through Week Six of the 2025 buries talent in glitzy losses.
2. Why did Geno Smith’s play drop off so sharply in 2025?
Forced throws and a porous O-line (12 sacks) tanked his deep-ball rating (51.9 vs. 109.2 prior). Chip Kelly’s scheme misfits, and injured TEs leave Geno exposed.
3. Is Pete Carroll too old to turn around the Raiders at 74?
His 172-124 record defies age, and the D’s ninth-ranked points allowed shows bite. But adapting to Kelly’s spread with a rookie-heavy roster tests his run-first DNA. Youthful AFC West QBs loom large.
4. What historical parallels exist for the Raiders’ post-Davis decline?
Like Dallas post-dynasty (2000s mediocrity), the Raiders lost Al’s edge. Eight straight losing seasons post-2011 mirror Cincinnati’s pre-Burrow woes. Ownership shift killed the spark.
5. Can rookies like Ashton Jeanty break the Raiders’ cycle?
Jeanty’s three TDs, 4.0 yards/carry scream potential – a Lynch-like fit for Carroll. But QB instability and O-line leaks cap upside. A vet LT could unlock his Bo Jackson-esque spark.
AI-Assisted Content (AIAC): Human-crafted ideas, drafts, and edits, enhanced by AI for the author’s vision.
