Aside from the 2-14 record, one of the biggest disappointments of the Raiders’ season has been the lack of opportunities given to the rookies in last year’s draft.
Other than Ashton Jeanty, the 2025 draft class in Las Vegas has been sparingly used, and for players like Jack Bech, Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant, it’s hard to know how much they can be counted on next year when they have been on the field so little this year.
Presumably, playing time is determined by the head coach (although there are rumors someone above Carroll has been weighing in this season) and it sounds like that will be one of the talking points Pete Carroll should be prepared for after Sunday’s game.
Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter talked about the rookies on his Friday podcast and said there are people in the building frustrated with the way the coaching staff has utilized rookies this year.
“And I’m going to tell you, after Sunday’s game, there’s going to be a ton of hard questions. Okay, a ton,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
“But I can tell you factually, there are people in the building frustrated… about young people not getting played.”
Something to keep in mind is that Carpenter voiced frustration over the usage of the rookies earlier in the season and hinted that there was one person responsible. At the time, it didn’t sound like he was talking about Carroll, but he never clarified.
“I thought Caleb Rogers in his second start was good,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast four weeks ago. “There are questions there and I want to say this. The person responsible for Caleb Rogers not playing earlier this year should take accountability for that.”
Maybe Carroll will point to someone else as responsible for the way the rookies have been handled this year, but the most important detail on Sunday is that the Raiders secure their 15th loss of the season and the no. 1 pick in the draft.
For years, the Raiders have kicked the can down the road on a franchise quarterback, and it looks like the 2026 draft will offer at least one quarterback worthy of the top pick. In years past, the Raiders haven’t been able to trade up to draft a quarterback, but the stars are finally lining up for a franchise quarterback to come to Las Vegas… as long Carroll and company don’t blow it on Sunday with a win.
x: @raidersbeat
I do feel for the rookies just standing around at practice. Getting no reps. The season was over weeks ago. Why not play the rookies to see what they can give us. Don’t just let them stand around at practice getting no reps. We know who’s the cause of it. Black Monday is a couple days away
What do you expect from a Head Coach who prefers players closer to his own age. And his son can’t coach the OL so i guess that sitting two DRAFTED Players with what appears to be real Potential virtually all season can’t be a Shock… This Franchise is Bordering on suffering from Bi-Polar disease…
I’ve never been one to ever say it’s OK to tank on any level.
This is the only exception to my lifetime of that rock, solid mentality.
Make it look good. But absolutely tank that game. And I somewhat doubt the story already written about Kansas City making sure that we lose the first pick. I see it the other way. Kansas City is going to inflict as much pain and embarrassment as they possibly can with who they have on the field.
Rookies should’ve been playing weeks ago. They should if brought up Miller to get some playing time. To late for that, they let him go. Raiders are a long way from being remotely good. Franchise QB ain’t gonna fix everything. Fire the old man along with Geno, snd get dome young experienced coaches.
Hondo makes no sense. At first he says there is someone above Carroll telling him not to play rookies. Now he’s saying “the building”, folks above Carroll, are frustrated that the rookies aren’t getting playing time. I swear this dude is all over the place. Always saying something without saying nothing.
Soooooooo much rhetoric. Drowning in it all.
The only fact is there are too many chiefs. And they all suck.