The Raiders have some top-end money makers on roster
The Las Vegas Raiders were most certainly not hurting for cap space this offseason.
The team was projected to have the second-most cap space at onset of 2025 at about $92.5 million and the team remains in prime shape with about $31.84-plus million in cap room still available.
The combo of general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll spent some solid coin to retain their own and provide some security for a newly gained offensive centerpiece. But overall, the new Raiders regime isn’t in dire financial straits.
Thus, let’s look at highest earns in Silver & Black. We’ll take a look at the 2025 active roster cap numbers as per Spotrac below and provide some insight on the Top 5 earners.
The Silver & Black’s starting quarterback is tied for sixth in the league in terms of cap hit (with the Atlanta Falcons’ Kirk Cousins). This is a byproduct of a two-year, $75 million contract extension Las Vegas gave Smith after trading for the signal caller with the Seattle Seahawks.
Smith was on the final stanza of a three-year, $75 million extension he signed with Seattle back in 2023 and he and the Raiders decided to provide a contract that mirrors the head coach who helped revive his NFL career (Carroll inked a pact with Las Vegas for three years with an option for Year 4).
In terms of overall contract value, Smith’s deal is 19th amongst his fellow quarterbacks.
The Raiders’ premier pass rusher sits atop the 2025 cap hit with an exact $38,153,250 number. That’s more than $10 million that the Chicago Bears’ Montez Sweat garners at $25,085,494 — who is second in Spotrac’s cap hit list.
Proving they weren’t just saying flattering things about Crosby to blow smoke, the duo of Spytek and Carroll inked Crosby to a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension. The new coin is well earned, of course, as Crosby is often the lone consistent pass rusher that wears a Raiders jersey.
In terms of overall contract value, Crosby’s new pact slots him at fourth overall behind the New York Giants’ Brian Burns. The San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa is king of the defensive end total value at $170 million.
Las Vegas’ top interior defensive lineman ranks 10th in 2025 behind the Carolina Panthers’ Derrick Brown ($18.74 million). The top money maker at the defensive tackle position group is the Indianapolis Cots’ DeForest Buckner ($26.6 million) followed by the Washington Commanders’ Daron Payne ($26.17 million).
A healthy and 100-percent ready-to-play Wilkins would be a tremendous boon for Las Vegas’ defense, however, the outlook remains murky. While there’s ample time to get ready for the regular season, Wilkins will need the snaps to reacclimate and build football endurance.
Contract value-wise, Wilkins...