LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Spirits are high around the Raiders organization coming off the team's first offseason program under Pete Carroll.
Despite coming off a 4-13 season, the transition between former head coach Antonio Pierce to Carroll's regime has ignited a sense of excited around Raider Nation.
Additions like quarterback Geno Smith and first-round rookie running back Ashton Jeanty have helped the hype train pick up speed. The team is currently in its summer break resting up before the grind of the fall begins.
To discuss the state of the Silver and Black before training camp kicks off on July 22, second-year linebacker Amari Gainer caught up with Channel 13's Nick Walters during minicamp.
A 6'3" linebacker who spent five seasons at Florida State and one at North Carolina before signing with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent, Gainer ended up making the team last season.
Gainer, 25, performed well enough in the preseason to make the final 53-man roster for all 17 regular-season games, totaling five tackles in his rookie season as a backup.
After further personal development with a new-look linebacker corps, Gainer hopes to make a larger impact in his sophomore season.
Gainer's surroundings are different in 2025 compared to what they were in 2024. After an offseason of turnover, instead of learning from veterans like Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo, Gainer also has mentors in veteran newcomers and former Super Bowl champions Elandon Roberts and Devin White.
Towards the end of minicamp, the Raiders added to their linebacker room by signing former Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt.
In our 1-on-1, get to know Gainer as a player but also as a person: How he tries to help the team off the stat sheet, how his transition to living in Las Vegas has gone, and why he takes pride in giving back to the valley community.
