The Las Vegas Raiders will get their first true test of the summer Thursday night when they travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks in their preseason opener. For a team with a new head coach, a reshaped roster, and high expectations, it will be the first chance to see how the pieces fit together against another opponent.
Head coach Pete Carroll confirmed this week that the Raiders will not hold back when it comes to player participation.
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“Everybody is live, everybody is ready to go,” Carroll said, via Jesse Merrick of the Silver & Black Sports Network.
That decision means a debut in silver and black for quarterback Geno Smith, brought in to stabilize the position after last season’s struggles. It also marks the first NFL snaps for No. 6 overall pick Ashton Jeanty, who is expected to be the Raiders’ lead back from the outset.
Carroll’s return to Seattle adds an emotional wrinkle to the night. The veteran coach spent over a decade building the Seahawks into a perennial contender, and Thursday will be his first game at Lumen Field as the opposing head coach.
“I loved my time in Seattle and I love the fans… but it’s a game for us,” Carroll said, according to Nick Walter of KTNV.
The Seahawks are reportedly planning tributes for Carroll, Smith, and linebacker Jamal Adams, another former Seahawk who signed with Las Vegas in the offseason.
While preseason snaps for starters always invite a risk-versus-reward debate, Carroll’s reasoning is rooted in the Raiders’ overhaul. This is a team that will look different on both sides of the ball — not just because of personnel changes, but also because of a new coaching staff and schemes. The goal is to avoid the early-season rust that can derail a campaign before it starts.
“It makes sense for the starters to play a series or two because of all the new players they have this season,” Carroll noted in his press conference. “They want to make sure they have the right players in the right positions and see how they move.”
The Raiders also see value in live reps for play-calling rhythm, in-game communication, and building chemistry. The hope is that getting everyone acclimated now will translate into a sharper, faster start once Week 1 arrives.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT on NFL Network, marking the start of what Las Vegas hopes will be a season defined not by growing pains, but by growth — beginning with the first snap in Seattle.