Before facing the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 4, the Las Vegas Raiders clinched the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after the New York Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18.
Moreover, the good news keeps coming for the Silver and Black. On Jan. 4, ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel reported, citing sources, that former TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover will be signing with the Indiana Hoosiers.
Thamel adds that Hoover took an official visit over the weekend and is expected to step in as the starting quarterback in 2026 if Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza declares for the NFL Draft, as anticipated.
Mendoza can still return to school, so Indiana already lining up his replacement means that the Hoosiers’ starting QB appears to be heading to the NFL, as Hoover wouldn’t be heading somewhere to be a backup after playing 12 games for TCU.
Moreover, this information comes after NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Jan. 3, citing sources, that there is the expectation that Carroll will last just one season in Las Vegas, whether that ends with a dismissal or a decision to step away. The Silver and Black is expected to run an extensive coaching search, with minority owner Tom Brady playing a role in the process.
Raiders Could Have Exciting Young Core
Meanwhile, one anonymous NFL assistant general manager believes Las Vegas could have young building blocks that could make the team successful in the future, should it land Mendoza, which now appears to be a given with the Raiders having the top pick in 2026.
“Would love to see [Mendoza] in Vegas,” the anonymous assistant general manager told NFL insider Jordan Schultz, who published the quote on X on January 2. “[Brock] Bowers [and] [Ashton] Jeanty are a great young supporting cast, and the big thing for me is what they do with coaching. Find the right young offensive-minded HC and that’s a team that has a foundation.”
Raiders Appear Ready to Move On From Pete Carroll
Additionally, with Mendoza looking like the QB that the Raiders will go with and needing to help put the building blocks for the young signal-caller to succeed, the Silver and Black need to get the right coaches in the building.
Pete Carroll is looking like he will be one-and-done with the Raiders. As a result, rumors continue to emerge as to who could replace him.
Minority owner Tom Brady is likely going to have a significant say on the search, and according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, he has his eyes on a couple of former New England Patriots.
“There’s a rumor currently making the rounds that, once Brady rolls up his sleeves (while also wearing one glove and an expensive-ass watch), he’ll make the case for bringing in Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores,” Florio wrote in an article published on Jan. 4.
“As the chatter goes, Flores would be the head coach, and former Giants coach Brian Daboll would be the offensive coordinator. Like Flores, Daboll has extensive experience with the Patriot Way. Daboll was there for the first three Super Bowl wins of the Brady/Belichick era, and for two of the second trio of championships.”
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