NFL VP of Scheduling Addresses the Raiders' Primetime Snub

The NFL did not give the Las Vegas Raiders any primetime games. The Raiders will have to earn it.

Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; The Las Vegas Raiders shield logo at midfield at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One huge thing was missing this past week in the Las Vegas Raiders' schedule release. That was the fact that the National Football League did not give the Silver and Black any primetime games. Primetime games are games every team wants to have.

That is because all eyes are on them. After all, those games are the only ones on TV at the time they take place. It brings in a lot of eyes and much more for any franchise that gets to play in it. As of now, they are not scheduled for them.

John Spytek, Fernando Mendoza, Klint Kubiak | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

You cannot necessarily blame the NFL for not giving the Raiders any primetime games. Those are also games that fans want to be the best teams to play in. They also want to see those games being played for something, instead of being a meaningless game. Las Vegas has had terrible seasons over the last few seasons.

Raiders Have No Primetime Games

Darrell Craig Harris, ON SI

They have not put any product on the field that NFL fans want to see, let alone what Raider Nation wants to see. They have to do a better job of putting a good team on the field that makes them watchable. That is when they could get the NFL to notice them and give them a big-time primetime game. It comes with winning games and having something to play for late in the season.

"Look, none of us know when or if Fernando Mendoza is going to see the field this year," said NFL Vice President of Broadcast Planning and Scheduling Mike North. "Obviously, Kirk Cousins is a competent quarterback in this league. He may well have them relevant. The good news about the way our product is distributed is that you do not necessarily have to be on primetime to be on a lot of television screens. We also say you play your way into primetime."

Klint Kubiak | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

On the flip side, this is something that the Raiders could use as motivation to show everyone around the NFL that they should be playing in those types of games. They will have a lot of chances to show that next season, because they have a tough schedule, and if they win some of those games, it could go a long way towards getting added to the prime time windows late in the season.

It is all about how this team performs, and they have to gain the NFL respect by winning more than they have over the last few seasons.