American Football
Tom Brady's brutal verdict on the 2025 Raiders, and our 2026 prediction
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The Las Vegas Raiders were a disaster last year, and nobody is pretending otherwise, not even their famous minority owner, Tom Brady.
This week, the legendary quarterback reflected on the reality of the forgettable 2025 campaign, telling the Stick to Football podcast, "There's nobody who did a good job."
Here's what else Brady said, and how the Raiders have already started to turn the corner.
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What Tom Brady said about the Raiders
"Last year, we just underperformed in every area," Brady said. "And it's everybody's fault. That's the reality."
"There's nobody who did a good job," he continued. "There's not one player in the organisation, there's not anybody involved that did the job to the level that it needs to be done at."
He included himself in that.
"Everybody needs to improve. And it starts with me, and it filters down to the rest of the players on the field, and they've got to go out there, and ultimately they've got to perform at a high level."
Not done there, Brady set out what needs to happen to perform at that high level.
"A massive improvement. And I would expect daily improvement, and I'd expect hourly improvement," he said.
"I really would… Every day that goes by, when you're on a good team, every day and every week goes by, you should be better."
How the Raiders have rebuilt for 2026
Klint Kubiak replaced Carroll, arriving fresh off a Super Bowl win as the Seahawks' offensive coordinator.
A fresh face, a culture change and the winning mentality he brings to Las Vegas should be a huge plus for everyone within the organisation.
Ethan Miller / Staff
That group was bolstered in the draft, with second-round safety Treydan Stukes, third-round edge rusher Keyron Crawford, and talented fourth-round cornerback Jermod McCoy.
And while it wasn't an addition as such, retaining the services of edge rusher Maxx Crosby was a huge win after his trade to the Ravens never materialised.
The headline additions, however, were on offense, led by the first overall selection, quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
A Heisman winner and CFP National Champion last year, Mendoza has the talent to turn the Raiders' fortunes around quickly, but he won't be hurried into action with veteran Kirk Cousins brought in as a mentor and bridge.
Snapping the ball to whoever starts at quarterback will be center Tyler Linderbaum, who arrived to shore up the interior of the offensive line on a deal that made him the league's top earner at the position.
The wideout room remains thin despite the addition of Jalen Nailor in free agency, but in running back Ashton Jeanty, tight end Brock Bowers, and left tackle Kolton Miller, the Raiders have three blue chip talents on offense to help the new group settle in.
The Raiders outlook in 2026
Cousins will start until Mendoza is ready, and while the veteran is no world beater at this stage of his career, he should be an improvement over last year's starter, Geno Smith.
Linderbaum will not only help Cousins and Mendoza, but he should also create more running lanes for Jeanty, who was hit behind the line far too often in 2025.
Health was a big issue for Las Vegas last year, with Miller and Bowers missing multiple games. If they can stay on the field this year, an improved record is expected.
Hourly improvement is a tough thing to track. But measured season by season, Brady should be considerably happier with where the Raiders land in 2026.
