Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is out after one season, and the news is landing loudly back in Seattle, where Carroll built one of the defining eras in franchise history. The news was reported early on the morning of January 5, and the Raiders confirmed it in an official announcement.
Key details (fast)
- The Raiders announced Monday, Jan. 5, 2026 they relieved Carroll of his duties.
- Las Vegas finished 3-14 and will pick No. 1 in the 2026 NFL Draft.
- Owner Mark Davis said GM John Spytek will lead football ops “in close collaboration with Tom Brady” during the coaching search.
- Seattle, meanwhile, just finished 14-3 and earned the NFC’s top seed.
Raiders fire Pete Carroll after one season
The Raiders made it official Monday morning: Carroll, 74, is out after a 3-14 campaign that ended with Las Vegas sitting at the top of the 2026 draft order.
Las Vegas did finish the season with a win — a 14-12 Week 18 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs — but it didn’t change the bigger picture of a reset coming again in Las Vegas.
Carroll had returned to the sidelines with the Raiders in January 2025 on a reported three-year deal (with a fourth-year team option), making the move one of the most headline-grabbing coaching hires of that cycle.
What it means in Seattle
From a Seahawks perspective, this is less about a victory lap and more about a reminder of how quickly NFL timelines move, even for Super Bowl-winning coaches.
Carroll’s Seattle run remains the measuring stick: he left as the winningest head coach in franchise history with 147 victories and delivered the organization’s lone Super Bowl title.
It’s also a sharp contrast point with where the Seahawks are right now. Seattle just wrapped a 14-3 season, won the NFC West and clinched the NFC’s top seed under head coach Mike Macdonald, who took over after Carroll’s tenure ended. Macdonald and Seahawks general manager John Schneider moved on from many of the holdovers from the Carroll-era, and now have the Seahawks in contention for another Super Bowl.
For Seahawks fans, Carroll’s exit in Las Vegas is likely to spark two conversations at once:
- Legacy appreciation, the Seattle era still stands apart, regardless of how the Raiders stint ended.
- “Culture vs. results” debate, Carroll’s calling card was always energy, competition and belief, but the NFL ultimately grades coaches by wins and quarterback answers.
What’s next for the Raiders and for Carroll
The Raiders say the next steps will be driven by Spytek with Brady involved in the process, a notable power structure that signals Las Vegas is aiming for alignment at the very top after another quick turnaround.
And the No. 1 overall pick gives the Raiders a rare lever to reshape the franchise fast — especially at quarterback, where Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is widely considered the No. 1 QB in the class — which is exactly why this job will still draw major interest even after another coaching change.
As for Carroll, the immediate question is whether this closes his coaching chapter for good. He came back because he still wanted to compete, but the Raiders’ decision Monday puts a hard stop on that comeback, at least for now.
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