Las Vegas opens 2025 on the road at New England, a Week 1 litmus test for Pete Carroll’s Raiders. Five Raiders have the most to prove: Jordan Meredith at center, Geno Smith at quarterback, Kyu Blu Kelly at cornerback, Malcolm Koonce at defensive end, and Ashton Jeanty at running back. Meredith won the pivot job and will face a stout Patriots front, while Smith aims to spark a new Raiders era in Chip Kelly’s system.

Kelly must lock the outside, Koonce must rebound from ACL, and Jeanty must translate college production to the NFL. Their early impact will set the tone for Vegas’s season and test the Carroll-era blueprint in a hostile opener.