Despite making several moves this year, CBS Sports believes that the Las Vegas Raiders will struggle to compete in the highly competitive AFC West.
We all know the story surrounding the league’s toughest division. Heading into the 2025 NFL season, the West features three playoff squads that arguably only got better this offseason. The Kansas City Chiefs are still the cream of the crop, fresh off a Super Bowl appearance. The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers are the other two teams that successfully bounced back in 2024.
Will the ’25 Raiders make noise in the AFC West?
So where does that leave the Raiders? After a disastrous season under head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco, the Raiders made significant changes. The reset shook the foundation of the organization—Tom Brady in as a minority owner, Brady’s college teammate John Spytek taking the GM reins, and Pete Carroll making his return to coaching.
All of that said, CBS Sports’ Jimmie Kaylor doesn’t think it’ll be enough. BetMGM has set the odds for the Raiders to win fewer than 7.5 games at -135. “Geno Smith doesn’t move the needle for me, but he is a much more stable option for the Raiders than Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell,” wrote Kaylor. “This is a team that I don’t expect to contend in the AFC West, but I do expect to see play better in 2025.”
Kaylor did shed praise for two of Las Vegas’s biggest names: tight end Brock Bowers and rookie star Ashton Jeanty. However, despite the layers they bring to Chip Kelly’s offense, it’s not enough to win more than seven games at most, according to CBS.
The Raiders must prove themselves before the hype can be taken seriously, regardless of fairness. While it’s natural for Raider Nation to feel optimistic, an objective observer may have a different perspective on the team’s current situation. The Raiders haven’t won the AFC West since 2002, which was also the last time they went to the Super Bowl. In other words, it’s understandable why some individuals may lack confidence in Las Vegas’ ability to make a turnaround.
*Top Photo: Getty Images