Why Tanking Is Not an Option for the Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders are on pace to have a top-five pick in next year's draft. But the Raiders cannot tank the rest of the season because it could do more harm to the franchise. The team is still playing hard, and it shows that they still care.

Oct 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Members of the Las Vegas Raiders offensive squad huddles in the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders are currently tied for the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft with a 2-8 record. The Raiders could put themselves in prime position to have the first overall pick by tanking and losing their last seven games. But tanking does way more harm than good to a franchise.

The number one overall pick does not guarantee anything. Also, you do not have to have the first pick to select the player you want. We have seen in previous drafts how teams can trade up and pick their player.

There are many ways for the Raiders to ensure they get the quarterback they want, but tanking is not one of them.

Our Hondo Carpenter and Ezekiel Trezevant talked about teams tanking on a recent episode of theLas Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast.

"The mindset of the team because everyone wants the Raiders to tank," said Carpenter. " But the point is they cannot. Or the NFL will handle them. And if they do tank, there are going to be players that are going to complain and they are going to get caught. So they are going to get in trouble. I mean they just cannot. And then some men are professional coaches and professional players, they are not losers. They did not get to this level by accepting losing. That is just not the mentality. I know the fans hate that. But overall, I think it is very good ... I have a friend who played for a team that tanked. And he told me years later when he retired, the team never got good ... He said to me, I think the year we tanked, they allowed there to be a complacency with losing and I think it became a cancer to the organization ... Tanking even if it does give you the number one pick, there is not a Peyton Manning in this ... I just do not think you let that losing culture into your building internally."

"I think there is a difference between it being a losing culture and you just having a losing season," said Trezevant. And I think there is a fine line that you have to walk there, and it is a very fine line. It can quickly go from a losing season to a losing culture in literally maybe two to three years. And now that culture has shifted towards losing. I do not feel like these guys are comfortable with losing. They do not look like they are comfortable with losing. They put up a fight last week again ... I think that the fact that they are still playing hard despite all that speaks volumes."

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