The Las Vegas Raiders capped off a disappointing season with a 14-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and change is inevitable this offseason.
It was by no means the type of season the Raiders had envisioned, one filled with tons of frustration and drama.
However, things are looking up for Las Vegas. They now have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, where they will presumably select the quarterback they believe will be the future of the franchise. But that’s not the only major change expected to take place.
After the game vs. Kansas City, Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones went over to Raiders’ head coach, Pete Carroll and gave him a massive hug, hinting at was very likely the final game Carroll coached as the head coach of the Raiders.
Raiders Expected to Move on From Pete Carroll
“That was fun,” Carroll said after the win vs. the Chiefs.
It sounds like a farewell message from the 74-year-old head coach, but that’s not the case. According to ESPN’s Ryan McFadden, Carroll said “he would like to come back next season.”
Despite Carroll’s interest in staying with the team, that likely won’t be the case. According to insider Jordan Schultz, the expectation is that Carroll will be a “one-and-done” in Las Vegas. NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero also added that Carroll’s future is “very much in doubt,” and it would be a “major surprise” if he returns for a second season.
Tom Brady, a minority owner of the Raiders, is expected to be involved in the search for the next head coach, with the team looking to cast a wide net of candidates.
The Search for the Next Raiders’ Head Coach
ESPN released an article on NFL head coaching carousel intel, highlighting numerous potential head coaching candidates that teams will likely be interested in.
The favorites to land a head coaching role include the following:
- Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley
- Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak
- Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula
- Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph
- Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady
- 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh
- Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter
It’ll be interesting with the lack of offensive-minded candidates if the Raiders still go that route. Other names who are not currently coaching in the NFL but were brought up are former Raiders’ head coach Jon Gruden, longtime head coach Mike McCarthy, and Illinois head coach Bret Bielema.
There likely won’t be an obvious frontrunner candidate for the Raiders at the start of the process, but as they continue to interview candidates, the hope is that the organization ends up choosing someone who can help get the Raiders back on track.
But for now, Carroll is still the head coach of the Raiders, and the organization will have to make some tough decisions this offseason.
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