For the Las Vegas Raiders, the pivotal point of the offseason is fairly obvious to deduce.
For new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek, improving the quarterback position is essential for success. The Raiders struggled to do anything consistently in the air last season, despite the presence of Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers. The team has the pieces in place to build a successful passing attack, but they need the right man under center for it to properly function.
Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker shared the sentiment, as he considered the Raiders’ quarterback situation as the biggest roster decision facing the team in 2025.
The Raiders have a plethora of options to solve their quarterback problem.
“With the second-most cap space in the NFL (about $92 million) and a fresh regime, the Raiders could be in for a very fun offseason full of inspiring transactions,” wrote Locker. “The team has a bevy of needs, but the most obvious is under center after ranking 31st in team PFF passing grade a year ago.”
“Holding the No. 6 overall pick means there’s a slim chance that one of Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders will still be available as Vegas is on the clock. Could new general manager John Spytek elect to trade up or even wait until Day 2 to make his mark on a passer?”
Ward and Sanders are widely considered the top quarterbacks of the 2025 draft class, but neither stand out as the perfect prospect. Should they miss out on either one, plenty of options exist that match what the Raiders are looking for. Ohio State’s Will Howard has experience in new Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s scheme, while Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe carry high upside, but lower floors.
The draft is not the only path the Raiders have, however.
“The other quarterback options are also intriguing for the Raiders,” Locker continued.
“Sam Darnold is the headliner of the free-agent class, and the 27-year-old would instantly infuse new life into the team’s lackluster offense. A reunion between Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson, who rebounded with a 77.5 PFF passing grade in 2024, could make sense. Even trading for Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. The bottom line is that whatever direction the Raiders go at quarterback will invariably produce domino effects for the rest of the roster — and the NFL.”
With Rodgers confirmed to be leaving the New York Jets, the intrigue surrounding the Raiders’ quarterback position is as strong as ever. The Raiders have been heavily linked to Darnold and Wilson, as well as other options such as Justin Fields and Daniel Jones. Adding Rodgers or even Geno Smith for another Carroll reunion to the mix, and Spytek will have his work cut out for him to make sense of it all.
The Raiders are facing a tremendous task with fixing their quarterback room, and must now sift through the vast possibilities to find the right one.
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