Through the LA Chargers' ups and downs there has always been one constant the last two decades: the Las Vegas Raiders have been terrible. No matter who the team hires at head coach or puts under center, the Raiders have not been able to get over the proverbial hump.
There is once again hope for the silver and black in 2025 thanks to quarterback Geno Smith and head coach Pete Carroll. Chargers fans will believe it when they see it, though. This is not their first rodeo.
Chargers fans definitely aren't buying what superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby is trying to sell Raiders fans. Crobsy is hoping the Raiders can turn it around in the same way the 2025 NBA Champions did.
"Individual success and things like that are awesome, but it's not why you play the game. You play to win. We just saw it in the NBA. OKC, just a couple years ago, was one of the worst teams in the league," Crosby said at Sack Summit, per The Athletic's Tashan Reed. "But they had a lot of young guys, they trusted the process, they developed and now they're the world champions."
Chargers fans can't help but laugh at Maxx Crosby's Raiders hopes
Crosby didn't outright say the Raiders are going to be the next Oklahoma City Thunder, which is probably a good thing because the quote would age like spoiled milk. We understand Crosby is attempting to stay optimistic, but he needs to understand the Raiders are not the Thunder.
The Thunder had a quick turnaround, sure, but they also are led by the MVP of the league. Surrounding that MVP was talented depth that built up through the draft and via savvy moves by GM Sam Presti.
The Raiders have not had that same roster-building success. Hiring a coach who was out of the league last season and signing a 34-year-old quarterback is not the same as compiling draft picks and having Shai Gilgeous-Alexander take that next step.
The Thunder are the best-run team in the NBA from a front-office perspective. A real case can be made for the Raiders being the worst-run team in the NFL.
Until the Raiders go out and prove they can be part of title conversations, nobody is going to believe in them. Las Vegas has done absolutely nothing to make anyone think, even Raiders fans, that they can turn it around in the same way as the Thunder.
If the Raiders take that step to relevancy, then the Chargers can start to worry about them being a threat. Until then, Chargers fans should expect the status quo with the Raiders at the bottom of the AFC West and near the top of the NFL Draft order.