When the Las Vegas Raiders take the field Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, they will attempt to avoid setting a franchise record for losses in a season. At 2-14, they have already matched the club mark of 14 defeats and can become the first Raiders team to finish 2-15.

The collapse was unthinkable to first-year coach Pete Carroll, who predicted before training camp that the team could win 10 games. “I had no place in my mind to see this,” Carroll said after a loss to the Giants last week.

Yet the roots of this disaster stretch back years, long before Carroll or general manager John Spytek arrived. A chain of poor personnel decisions, off-field tragedies, and coaching instability has left the organization with a barren roster and little hope for a quick fix.

A draft to forget

The 2020 NFL draft was supposed to be a cornerstone moment for the newly relocated Las Vegas Raiders. Armed with two first-round picks and five selections inside the top 100, coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock had a golden opportunity to stock the roster. Instead, they produced one of the worst draft classes in recent memory.

With the 12th pick, they selected wide receiver Henry Ruggs III. At No. 19, they reached for cornerback Damon Arnette, a player widely regarded as a second-round talent. Neither lasted more than two seasons in the league. Meanwhile, the Raiders passed on Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Jordan Love, and Tristan Wirfs — all of whom became stars.

The whiffs continued in later rounds. Lynn Bowden Jr., Bryan Edwards, and Tanner Muse, taken at Nos. 80, 81, and 100, respectively, contributed virtually nothing in the NFL.

Another missed tackle

The 2021 first round brought more pain. Needing a right tackle, the Raiders bypassed Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw — now a standout for the Vikings — to reach for Alabama’s Alex Leatherwood at No. 17. Leatherwood was cut after one season and hasn’t played in the NFL since 2023. The offensive line remains a glaring weakness to this day.

Gruden’s exit and the coaching carousel

Owner Mark Davis had committed to Gruden long-term, but those plans disintegrated in October 2021 when inflammatory emails from Gruden’s past surfaced, forcing his resignation. The Raiders have been in a state of flux ever since. Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce each lasted less than two seasons as head coach, and Carroll himself may be fired after this year. General managers have come and gone — Mayock, Dave Ziegler, Tom Telesco — creating constant instability.

A tragic speeding crash

On Nov. 2, 2021, Ruggs was driving his Corvette at speeds up to 156 mph when he rear-ended a car in Las Vegas, killing Tina Tintor and her dog. Ruggs had a blood-alcohol level of 0.16 percent, twice the legal limit. The Raiders released him immediately.

The tragedy had lingering effects. In the 2023 draft, the Raiders needed an interior defensive lineman and had the No. 7 pick. Georgia’s Jalen Carter was available, but his involvement in a fatal speeding incident during his college days made him off-limits. The Raiders instead drafted defensive end Tyree Wilson, who has underwhelmed, while Carter has thrived in Philadelphia.

The Davante Adams gamble

A surprise playoff run in 2021 created false hope. The Raiders traded a first- and second-round pick to the Packers for wide receiver Davante Adams, who wanted to play for his hometown team. The move was a luxury the rebuilding roster couldn’t afford. Adams grew frustrated with losing and demanded a trade after two full seasons.

Quarterback purgatory

When McDaniels benched Derek Carr late in 2022 and the Raiders released him months later, they had no viable replacement. Attempts to trade up for Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud in the 2023 draft failed. They signed Jimmy Garoppolo, who was injured and ineffective. A late-season winning streak under Pierce in 2023 knocked them out of range for the top quarterback prospects. They entered 2024 with Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew. Carroll traded for Geno Smith, but he is likely gone after this season.

“It’s complicated,” Carroll said, “has been years in the making and isn’t the sole fault of Carroll or first-year general manager John Spytek.”