Podcast: Training Camp Update #11, Look Ahead to 1st Preseason Game

HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders are ready for their trip to the Pacific Northwest for their first preseason game of the 2025 season, but not before they held their final practice before that game today.

Our latest Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast offers our eleventh 2o25 training camp update and looks ahead to Thursday night's tilt with the Seattle Seahawks.

You can watch the entire podcast below:

Pete Carroll has been a steady hand of stability for a franchise desperate for consistency over his time in the desert.

Carroll’s brilliant leadership has been flawless and has the Silver and Black poised to turn the corner for the Las Vegas Raiders.

After practice today, Carroll spoke to the media about his rookie camp.

Las Vegas Raiders QB Geno Smith | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

We have a partial transcript of what Carroll said below.

Head Coach Pete Carroll

Q: You made the change with Jakorian Bennett yesterday. Sticking on that, how much was that kind of a vote of confidence for some of the younger players? Pete Carroll: “I like the way you look at it. Yeah, we like the group. We feel confident in the group and so we were able to get another guy that we need on the other side, up front, and so we're really glad to get Thomas [Booker IV] and wish JB [Jakorian Bennett] the best.”

Q: What is it about Thomas Booker IV that you guys like? Carroll: “His motor. Plays really hard and he's really consistent in his effort. He's big enough and flexible enough to play a number of spots for us. He looked really good in their rotations and that's a heck of a defensive line over there. It keeps him from playing and getting his numbers up, but we see a lot of positives. We've known him over the years as he’s come up, and so another really smart kid.”

Q: What are your thoughts on returning back to Seattle? Carroll: “It's the only game we got, and it happens to be in Seattle. I loved my time in Seattle and love the fans and the people that we met and dealt with and competed with, but it's a game for us. We are going to go play ball.”

Q: Do you think you're playing your full set of starters on Thursday? Carroll: “Everybody's alive. Everybody’s ready to go.”

Q: What’s the biggest thing you took away from your time in Seattle that you’ve instilled here at the Raiders? Carroll: “Well, that's a really good question, because it came as an experiment coming out of USC to go to the NFL to see if the way we had developed, the culture that we had created, the concept of competing the way did would carry over. Mostly it was the way we treated the people in our program. I had an inkling that it would be okay, but I didn't know, and a lot of people probably questioned it as well. We didn't change anything. We maintained the philosophy and we adapted to the players and the course of the game. After it's said and done, I feel really good about the time we spent there and that we were able to stay with what we believed in and make it work out. So, that's really what stands out about it.”

Q: Not to make too much out of the first depth chart that came out in the preseason, but there's three rookies starting first string. Bunch of rookies on second string. How important has it been for them to kind of get up to speed and be ready to go? Carroll: “No, it's huge. Like I've said to you guys from the start, I'm not hesitant to play young guys. And we've kind of almost forced them into it and forced to feed them until they show us who they are, what they're all about and how much they can handle. And it isn't all on them. It's on us to make sure that we ask them to do things that they're capable of doing at this time. So, right now, they get out there and we're going to get a lot of information, and that's what's really important at this time. We're making good decisions.”

Las Vegas Raiders Pete Carroll | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

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