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Former Player Slights Raiders in 'Super Bowl' Prediction

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi Dombro | Last updated Apr 10, 2025 2:21 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders were one of the worst teams in the NFL last year, but owner Mark Davis has made several key changes this offseason. Pete Carroll and John Spytek are now the team's head coach and general manager, and a good portion of the roster has changed after free agency.

While this helps their chances of being successful next season, former NFL player Justin Pugh is not convinced. He was on Good Morning Football on Tuesday, and he had a disrespectful prediction for the Raiders this season.

"That's like winning the Super Bowl if you're the Raiders, right? To get seven or eight wins would be an achievement," said Pugh.

Winning seven or eight games would indeed be a dramatic improvement for a Las Vegas team that mustered just four wins last season. However, to assert that going just below .500 would be a "Super Bowl" for the franchise is both inaccurate and discourteous to the legends that brought three Lombardi Trophies to the Silver and Black.

During his NFL career, Pugh played for both the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals, who had a combined winning percentage of just 39.1% during his tenure. For a player who only won seven or more games in four of his 11 NFL seasons, one would think that Pugh would have a little more humility when talking about a team that could finish just short of the playoffs.

Pete Carroll has won an actual Super Bowl, and there is no reason that the team cannot compete for one this season. But when it comes to the national media, anything is on the table if you want to criticize the Raiders. Coach Carroll and his team have even more bulletin board material now.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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