Las Vegas Raiders Preseason Preview – Week 1 vs. Seattle Seahawks

The Las Vegas Raiders will travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, August 7th. Kickoff is set for 10 PM ET. If you are in Las Vegas, you can watch the game on FOX5 Las Vegas or listen on Raider Nation Radio 920AM. The game will be live on the NFL Network for viewers out of market.

Here are some things to keep an eye on in this Week 1 preseason matchup.

Pete Carroll Returns to Seattle

It will be a reunion of sorts as Head Coach Pete Carroll returns to Lumen Field. Carroll’s 137 wins with the Seattle Seahawks are the most in franchise history. In 14 seasons with Pete Carroll at the helm, the Seattle Seahawks made the playoffs 10 times and won the NFC West in five of those seasons. The team secured two NFC Championship trophies and achieved their only Super Bowl title in franchise history by winning Super Bowl XLVIII in 2013.

“I loved my time in Seattle,” Carroll said. “I love the fans and the people that we met and dealt with and competed with, but it’s a game for us. We’re going to go play ball.”

No doubt Pete Carroll and the “12’s” will be full of emotion Thursday night.

“They Wrote Me Off, I Ain’t Write Back Tho”

In March, the Las Vegas Raiders acquired QB Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2025 third-round draft pick. The Raiders signed Smith to a two-year, $85.5 million contract extension a month later.

Geno spent six seasons with the Seahawks, three of them as the team’s starting quarterback. Thursday night, he will suit up against his former club.

“Looking forward to it. Looking forward to seeing my old teammates, old coaches, people in the building. It’ll be fun.” Smith said at the Raiders press conference on Tuesday. “Going back with Pete. That’s pretty cool. Another opportunity to compete with my guys. That’s always what it’s all about.”

Battle at Right Guard

The surprise of training camp has been the emergence of offensive lineman Jordan Meredith. The Las Vegas Raiders have released their ‘unofficial’ depth chart ahead of their first preseason game, and Meredith is currently listed as the team’s starting center with Jackson Powers-Johnson at right guard.

“We think we see something in this combination, we’re going to give it a look,” Carroll said on Tuesday.

Before the start of training camp, many writers, including myself, believed Jackson Powers-Johnson was a lock for the starting center position. However, throughout camp, Meredith and Powers-Johnson have alternated at center with the first-team offense. It seems as if Meredith has the upper hand at this point.

Meanwhile, Powers-Johnson finds himself in a battle at right guard with offensive lineman Alex Cappa, who signed a two-year, $11.2 million deal with $5.5M guaranteed this offseason. Raiders General Manager John Spytek was the Director of player personnel for Tampa Bay when the team selected Alex Cappa in the 3rd round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Cappa was a key contributor at the right guard position for a Buccaneers team that won Super Bowl LV. This battle will be one to monitor throughout the preseason.

Who Is the Raiders RB2?

After ranking 32nd in rushing offense last season, the Raiders drafted Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty with the 6th overall pick. With Jeanty as the clear bell cow in this offense heading into the season, who will be the RB2?

Zamir White seems to be a solid fit for offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s running scheme. “I love it. It’s fast, it’s downhill.” White said to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Adam Hill and Sports Illustrated’s Hondo Carpenter following the Raiders’ mock game at Allegiant Stadium on August 2nd.

As it stands today, veteran RB Raheem Mostert and former 2022 fourth-round RB Zamir White are competing. However, Zamir White has caught the attention of the coaching staff by sending a ‘message’.

“He’s the hammer. I love having different styles of running backs,” Carroll said. “I think he gives us a real element. I’m really excited about what he’s done so far.”

The Greatness of the Raiders Is in Its Future

Every year, NFL teams bring in a new class of players from the college ranks. The Raiders selected 11 players in the 2025 NFL Draft. The first preseason game is a unique milestone for each individual. They will get their first taste of NFL action this week.

I look forward to watching the entire draft class compete against Seattle.

– Follow Dan Loya on X @DLoya_NFL