Pete Carroll Doesn’t Hold Back Talking Current State of the Raiders

HENDERSON, Nev.-After a 23-23 tie to open the preseason last night in Seattle, Pete Carroll came home and watched and evaluated the film.

Several parts and players from the game stood out to him, and his everyday direct and blunt style, he addressed those earlier today. Here are the newsworthy things he said:

Competition Battles are Legitimate

Las Vegas Raiders OL Jordan Meredith | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

The battle between Jackson Powers-Johnson and Jordan Meredith is one of the most significant matchups during the 2025 NFL Training Camp. The coach highlighted this competition after both players performed well into the third quarter of Thursday's game.

"Those guys did get a good look because we wanted to really have a lot of film on them, and so it's a good first step. I thought Jordan [Meredith] was in command of what was going on in a difficult situation. We wanted to see how far he could go with handling the noise and the silent counts and all that kind of stuff. And he really did a good job of that. But we're not ready to make any declaration on anything. We've just got to keep on working."

Change of Position, But Not Diminishing Expectations

Las Vegas Raiders LB Jamal Adams | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Jamal Adams has been more than a surprise in his transition from safety to linebacker; he has been a pleasant revelation. Pete Carroll can’t hide his enthusiasm for Adams' development.

"I thought he was pretty flashy, like he's been in practice. He played like he's been practicing. He's been really obvious out there. He's real sudden, he's always been a very aggressive, attack oriented player, that's what separated him from others in his past. And I thought he looked good and ran well. I was really, really happy for him. This is kind of my pulling for him to get back; it's been a long haul with a difficult injury. And shoot, I thought he played well."

Can Carroll Exercise the Plague of Missed Tackles?

For many years, the Raiders have struggled with poor tackling, and last night in Seattle, that issue reappeared. How concerned is the future Hall of Fame general manager about it?

"Well, yeah, I'm chalking it up to it's the first preseason game. And I'm concerned, yeah. That way we tackled stunk. And it was all open field stuff for the most part, and that's the first time we've tackled anybody. So, that's why you play these games. Progress was made in the second half; we were playing a lot cleaner and guys just got used to running and hitting. But we need to continue to emphasize it like we have been, but that's the first shot. It could have been better. I thought we worked on it hard enough to show better than that, but we've got work to do."

No Mincing of Words on the Rookie QB

Las Vegas Raiders QB Cam Miller | Darrell Craig Harris,On SI

Rookie QB Cam Miller had a terrific first preseason game, and Pete Carroll, who loves competition, delivered some blunt force truth as it pertains to the critical QB2 battle as it pertains to the rookie.

"The last five or six days of our work, he continues to move the club. And so, I'm happy for him. It was about as duressed as you can get and he handled it well, but it's not the first time he's done well in our practices. And he did well, like I said, in the mock game. Put the same situation, a field goal to win the game a couple times there and did it against Seattle. Nice job by him."

A New Addition Making a Big Splash

Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Thomas Booker I — Aug 24, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV (59) walks off the field after the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images | Caean Couto-Imagn Images

Thomas Booker IV has recently joined the Raiders and played exceptionally well in Seattle, capturing the attention of the Silver and Black coach.

"He's going to really fit in. His effort was good. If you can imagine, he's only been here two days, so his head was swimming a little bit. But he's a very intense kid and really sharp. And his attitude was exactly like you would hope it would be. So, that's all ahead of us, but I think he's physical enough, he runs real well and he's had good training coming up. So, we're fortunate to have him."

Carroll Hasn’t Quit on Aidan O’Connell

Las Vegas Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Aidan O’Connell would be the first to acknowledge that he needs to improve from his performance in the first half against the Seattle Seahawks. However, the fact that both Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly chose to keep him in for the third quarter speaks volumes about their confidence in him. O’Connell responded by delivering a much better performance in the second half.

"He's been doing a really nice job. I anticipated that he would play a good, strong game. I thought that he did have a couple plays, I thought our tempo we needed to pick up. I thought we lost a bit of our edge, tempo-wise, just taking a lot of time at the line of scrimmage. If you notice, the second half, it wasn't like that. He adjusted. Chip [Kelly] got on it and he looked a lot better. I thought he threw the ball well and there were a couple plays he would like back. He missed a touchdown pass that we came back and threw later in the game, same play, and he just misread something. So, I'm pleased with what he's doing, really am."

Joint Practice with the 49ers This Week is Enormous

Las Vegas Raiders LB Devin White | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

The San Francisco 49ers are visiting the desert this week for a joint practice and a preseason game. This practice could be the most significant event of the entire offseason, and Carroll understands the potential impact it can have.

"We won't be tackling in the practice, but that'll be a good part of the preparation to get to the game. Our guys just need to see the tempo and the speed of really good clubs. And you've got to play good teams if you want to get good and so this is a great opportunity for us."

Establishing the Run is Not a Fable

Las Vegas Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

In 2024, we heard promises from the Raiders about establishing a strong running game, but those claims turned out to be little more than empty talk, reminiscent of what you'd hear from any politician in Washington D.C. With Pete Carroll at the helm, it's not just wishful thinking. The Raiders aim to establish the run in 2025 genuinely.

“It will continue to be pretty basic just to keep our edge for the opener and the first three or four games. The teams don't know who we are, and so they're going to have to find out as we go. So, we were real basic and we didn't get the kind of movement that we wanted. Like, Ashton [Jeanty] didn't get a chance.”

Starters Are Headed to Work

Las Vegas Raiders Superstar DE Maxx Crosby | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

The Raiders kept many of their star players on the field briefly, if at all, during their first preseason game of the 2025 season. Carroll emphasized that he followed his plan, but he also warned that the players should be prepared to take on much heavier workloads. This Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium, they are expected to play significantly more reps.

"It's exactly as we had planned. They were going to play a handful of plays just to go through the process of preparing for the game, the middle part of it, the pregame and then getting out there. I just want to get them on the field. And they did that. And so, next time they're going to play quite a bit, that's just part of the process."

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