When news broke that the Las Vegas Raiders had hired Pete Carroll as their new head coach back on January 24, 2025, NFL fans wondered if the Raiders could have the same success that the Seattle Seahawks had when Carroll was a coach there from 2010-2024.
Carroll’s Seattle teams had a great offense behind Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and others, but had an even more elite defense.
The defensive secondary was especially dominant, earning the nickname the Legion of Boom. Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Brandon Browner and a few others made up the most feared defensive unit in the league for most of the 2010s.
Raiders fans wondered if Carroll could replicate something similar in Las Vegas.
Well, those Raiders fans should be encouraged about that possibility because according to Raiders safety Isaiah Pola-Mao, who spoke at the Raiders’ press conference following mandatory minicamp on Wednesday June 11, 2025, Carroll is doing a lot of direct, hands-on work with the defensive backs.
“I’ve never really had a head coach really hands-on with the DBs so it’s different for me,” Pola-Mao said. “But I love it, and at the same time, Pete’s legendary…he’s seen it and he’s done it, so he knows what it’s supposed to look like.”
It’s clear that Carroll isn’t taking any shortcuts with this defensive unit; he is working with them directly and attempting to use his extensive knowledge to help facilitate Las Vegas’s version of the Legion of Boom.
Could Pola-Mao be a Key Figure in that Defensive Unit?
Isaiah Pola-Mao wasn’t the most heralded prospect coming out of USC, going undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Raiders that offseason, with no guarantee of a roster spot.
But Pola-Mao has worked hard the last three seasons to earn a consistent role with the Raiders. He had a career year in 2024, tallying 14 starts, making 85 total tackles and forcing two fumbles, all career highs.
He also experienced the highlight of his young career, earning the AFC Defensive Player of the Week award in Week 16 after tallying 9 tackles and two forced fumbles in the Raiders’ 19-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jaguars win up front for a potential explosive play but Isaiah Pola-Mao saves with a perfect punch out to force a fumble #RaiderNation
On February 24, 2025, the Raiders signed Pola-Mao to a 2-year contract extension, signaling their belief in him as a core part of the defense moving forward.
“I love it here, so I’m excited to be here and my hard work paid off,” Pola-Mao said about the extension.
Raiders Have a New-Look Defense
The Raiders added several key new players to shore up their defensive unit for 2025.
Eric Stokes, Elandon Roberts, Devin White, Darien Porter and Jeremy Chinn are just some of the big names that the Raiders have brought in this offseason to play in the secondary alongside Pola-Mao.
On Wednesday June 12, 2025 the Raiders announced another big addition: the signing of star linebacker Germaine Pratt just a few days after he was released by the Cincinnati Bengals.
If they can build chemistry under Pete Carroll, the Raiders could have a very good defensive unit in 2025.
