The Las Vegas Raiders had one of the most intriguing offseasons to evaluate in 2025. The team not only brought in a new head coach and general manager to reshape the organization, but also traded for Geno Smith, a veteran quarterback who proved himself in the league after a strong stint with the Seattle Seahawks and now suits up in silver and black.
In the draft, the Raiders used the No. 6 overall pick on college football sensation Ashton Jeanty, and throughout the event, they had multiple chances to select a potential quarterback of the future, including Shedeur Sanders, but chose not to.
When asked about the team’s direction, star edge rusher Maxx Crosby didn’t hesitate to defend the decisions made by the new regime.
Maxx Crosby is Confident in Raiders’ Plans Ahead of 2025 Season
Since Tom Brady became a minority owner of the Raiders, expectations have grown that the franchise would finally emerge from the limbo it has been stuck in for the past two decades.
After parting ways with Derek Carr, the team went through a series of underwhelming experiments at quarterback, testing Jimmy Garoppolo, Aidan O’Connell, Gardner Minshew, and Desmond Ridder, none of whom proved to be a long-term solution.
With the arrival of Pete Carroll and the trade for Smith, it became clear that the current plan is to stabilize the team and establish at least a baseline of competitiveness before planning long-term. There’s little point in drafting a college quarterback without building a foundation for that player to succeed.
As a result, the franchise chose to invest its draft capital in offense, surrounding Smith with more weapons, but passed on multiple opportunities to draft Sanders on Day 2 and 3. When asked about it, Crosby stood firmly behind the organization’s approach and voiced his support for the newly acquired quarterback.
Geno Smith IS the answer! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/772XG3YmXO
— The Rush Podcast (@TheRushWithMaxx) May 28, 2025
“I mean, he’s 34, but quarterback’s age is different. He’s gonna be here for a while. Bringing Pete in, and Spytek, and Brady, and all them. They have a specific, like, vision of what they want. You know what I mean? So, we’re all in on that. So, I like how we drafted, bro. We got some dogs,” Crosby said.
In 2024, the Raiders’ offense ranked 29th in the PFSN Offense+ metric — ahead of only the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns. It became clear that the team couldn’t move forward with such an ineffective run game and without a quarterback who brings both experience and ball security.
It’s unlikely that Las Vegas will contend for a title in 2025; there’s still a long road ahead, but the process can’t be rushed. In due time, a rookie quarterback will arrive to be developed and eventually take over the franchise long term.
For now, the Raiders need to get back to being competitive week to week and build a culture of accountability and toughness, something Carroll has consistently brought to his teams.