Across his 27 years as an NFL and college football coach, Pete Carroll finished at or above the .500 mark in all but four seasons. He is about as proven of a winner as there is in the NFL entering the 2025 campaign, and his expectations for his debut season with the Las Vegas Raiders reflect the success he strung together across stints with the Seahawks, Patriots, Jets and in college with USC. Carroll simply said the Raiders are going to win, and they are going to win a lot.
If that comes to fruition, it would be a welcome turnaround for a franchise that has just two winning seasons on its ledger since 2002.
“We’re gonna win a ton,” Carroll said Tuesday to kick off training camp. “We’re gonna win a bunch of games. I can’t even imagine anything [else]. I’ve been winning 10 games a year for 20 years or something. What are my expectations? We’re going to win a bunch. I don’t care who hears that. It doesn’t matter to me. It ain’t about what anybody hears; it’s about what we do. … I wish I could guarantee it to you, but I can’t even think of what else it could be other than being really successful.”
The young talent on the Raiders’ roster alone is enough to get excited about. Consider also that Geno Smith arrived with ample experience under Carroll’s tutelage and that veteran stars like Maxx Crosby remain in the building. Las Vegas features a blend of talent that could help the franchise win now and into the future.
“My expectations are about as high as they can get,” Carroll said. “There’s no limit. We’re going for it. I want to see how far we can take our club. We’re going to do it one step at a time. We’ll see how good we can be.”
Jamal Adams signed on the eve of training camp with Las Vegas, giving Carroll another familiar weapon defensively. And with his arrival in the secondary, the former “Legion of Boom” coach said the Raiders’ secondary rivals that of any he oversaw in Seattle.
“I’m fired up about the back end,” Carroll said. “We’re really athletic, we’re really fast and we’re big. It’s an impressive looking group. I can’t remember ever having a group that looks more impressive than this group. My guys would be pissed at me that I said that up north, the old guys. But it’s the truth.”
The offense will continue to revolve around Brock Bowers as he cements himself as one of the NFL’s best tight ends, but there should not be as much pressure on the passing game in 2025 with the arrival of Ashton Jeanty. The Raiders’ first-round pick looks like as sure of a prospect as the NFL has seen at the running back spot since Saquon Barkley entered the league and figures to wreak havoc out of the gate after he excelled as an unstoppable force at Boise State.
“I think we’ve really got something to look forward to,” Carroll said. “Everybody should be pumped about it.”