Pete Carroll may be in the midst of his last week as the Las Vegas Raiders‘ head coach. He has been the face of one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
While Carroll’s track record could theoretically be enough to convince the Raiders to give him another year, there have been so few positives this season that it might prove too difficult to justify that. However, the Raiders need a coach in mind who could be an upgrade.
With a rookie quarterback likely coming in, it would make sense to target a coach with an offensive background. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report predicts that the Raiders will fire Carroll and replace him with Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
“The Raiders are likely to have the top pick in the 2026 draft, and they’re likely to use that selection on a quarterback. And that’s where Klint Kubiak comes in,” Gagnon wrote. “The 38-year-old was the passing game coordinator during Brock Purdy’s excellent sophomore campaign in San Francisco, and he’s had a ton of success with Sam Darnold in Seattle this season.
“His offensive approach makes a lot of sense in Vegas with a rookie quarterback. You know he’d emphasize running back Ashton Jeanty to take pressure off of whoever is drafted, and he would provide a much-needed breath of fresh air to the Raiders.”
Is Kubiak Ready to Be a Head Coach?
Kubiak has had a long road to becoming a hot name on the head coaching market. He got his first offensive coordinator job with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021, but was let go after head coach Mike Zimmer was fired.
He got another chance to be an offensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints last season, but was let go again after the head coach was fired. He’s finally found a stable situation with the Seattle Seahawks and has thrived. They have the No. 2 scoring offense in the NFL with him calling plays.
Kubiak has proven that he’s at the very least and above average playcaller. He has bounced around the NFL quite a bit and has worked under some really good head coaches, so he’s seen firsthand how to be successful. That said, one great year as an offensive coordinator might not be enough for a team to take a chance on him at head coach.
2026 Doesn’t Have the Strongest Crop of HC Candidates
One thing that will work in Kubiak’s favor is that this year’s crop of head coaching candidates isn’t that exciting. Last year had really exciting options like Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel and Liam Coen, who are all leading their teams in the playoffs in their first seasons.
There doesn’t seem to be any candidates at the level of those coaches. At the same time, there are always under-the-radar guys who end up being stars. Kevin O’Connell and Sean McVay are just a couple of names who weren’t as hyped as somebody like Johnson, but they are some of the best coaches in football.
Perhaps there’s an under-the-radar coach the Raiders could target. Regardless, they can’t afford to screw this up again if they fire Carroll, especially if a rookie quarterback is coming in.
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