The Raiders brought in a new regime to guide their franchise in 2025, but unless the team somehow wins their final two games of the season, they’ll finish with their worst showing since the 2014 campaign. Considering the dismal on-field product, there have been some natural rumblings about Pete Carroll‘s job security. If the head coach has his way, he’ll be sticking in Las Vegas for the 2026 season.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the 74-year-old isn’t planning to retire. Instead, Carroll is “intent on convincing” owner Mark Davis that he should keep his job.
Rapoport and Pelissero detail the various issues the Raiders have dealt with in 2025. On the coaching staff, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and special teams coordinator Tom McMahon were both canned. On the field, Geno Smith has tossed 14 interceptions after being acquired this offseason for a third-round pick. Meanwhile, sixth-overall pick Ashton Jeanty has been one of the least efficient RBs in the NFL, compiling 828 rushing yards on 224 carries. Individually, none of these issues are a direct indictment of Carroll. However, when combined, you can make a strong argument that the organization already requires a change.
Plus, as Rapoport and Pelissero note, Carroll wasn’t even the organization’s top choice to lead the squad. Tom Brady helped guide the search and landed his desired GM in John Spytek. However, the iconic QB saw his HC target, Ben Johnson, opt for the Bears gig. Both NFL Network reporters believe Brady will “increase his presence” this offseason as the team faces some crucial decisions.
Davis will ultimately have the final say, and the owner isn’t afraid to pull the plug if things aren’t working out. The Raiders have famously shuffled through coaches, as the team has employed five different head coaches (including interim HCs) over the past five years.
If Carroll is ultimately ousted, it will be a disappointing development for the former Super Bowl winner. His long stint in Seattle unceremoniously ended in 2023, but even then, the Seahawks never bottomed out, as Carroll still guided the team to a 9-8 record during his final season at the helm. Carroll has the track record of developing competitive squads, so perhaps the Raiders will give their head coach another season to right the ship. If not, the front office will be seeking yet another individual to lead their roster.
Just tell the guy who looks like Curly got Shemp’s haircut that the problem wasn’t you, it was the players and the other coaches.
He’s clearly been sold on dubious concepts before.
It might actually be Brady that makes the call on whether Pete stays or goes.
The problem w/ bottom feeder franchises, they can’t admit or understand what the term ‘rebuild’ is. LV should trade back & collect picks for this offseason & next.
The conundrum is that if these teams actually knew how to draft properly they wouldn’t find themselves as perennial bottom feeders.
You mean like when the Jets drafted a FB in the 1st round sometime in ’80s!
Maybe they should extend Geno Smiths contract an extra few years too
Things are really working out in the desert
Is there a coach anywhere in the universe who could have done better with this dumpster fire franchise? Give Pete another year. At this point, what can it hurt?
Ehhh, whomever got the job would have been in trouble, but Carroll’s also made some bad decisions directly attributable to him. Chief amongst these is his hiring of his sons to coaching positions that have really been bad. On top of that, Carroll’s meddling in the offense to his sons’ styles sabotaged an already struggling unit. Kelly might have been disappointing on his own, but if you hire a coordinator to be hands on with a large pedigree and a huge salary, you should let him run his offense. Carroll’s not helped the Raiders, regardless of the roster.
I’m actually not saying that he 100% needs to be fired (because that essentially wastes the whole year on another reset), but if he is fired, he definitely contributed to his own departure.
It was Pete’s decision to acquire the pumpkin shell of Geno to play QB. They could have drafted Dart
They’re in a rebuild whether they want to admit it or not. A rebuild must be done around a coach who can see it from beginning to fruition. Carroll is not that guy.
@Hub… I wouldn’t automatically give Carroll another year. They need to have a sit-down first, and there needs to be change. First and foremost, if Pete is to stay, his sons need to be fired. If Pete has an issue with that, Pete can go right along with them. Secondly, if they’re drafting a QB, a qualified OC needs to be brought in and given full autonomy over the offensive side of the football. If Pete has an issue with that, he can go. Lastly, young players need to play; that’s the focus. If Pete has any issues agreeing to that, there’s the door.
Personally, I’d just fire him. I don’t trust his judgement. Plus, if they draft a QB, you’re likely doing damage to his development by keeping Pete, because I don’t see any way he is on the sideline for a 3rd year. That means, at minimum, you’re asking a young QB to learn two playbooks. Might as well rip the bandaid off now.
Pete I don’t think its up to you
Being a Charger fan,I hope they keep him.
What better way to keep your job, Pete, than by beating my Giants this weekend and mostly ensuring that they will pick #1 overall?
He shouldn’t of been hired in the first place.
Stop the Geezer-Go- Round! Let him off please!
They need to keep Pete for another year. Trade down in the draft if there’s an opportunity and stockpile o linemen and receivers. Geno would look infinitely better if he had one person, besides Bowers, to throw to and actually had time to do it.
The Mendoza watch starts Sunday….
Not going to put this terrible season all on Pete or Geno. Bad/injured OL, no WRs, weak/average D, tough division. What I’ll criticize them for is drafting a shiny new RB in RD1, or not trading Crosby for picks. They have a long way to go to challenge the Chargers and Broncos, and even Chiefs. Tear it down and re-build.
I’m going to disagree with you on just about everything.
First, you don’t trade away a player the caliber of Crosby unless the player forces the issue. I don’t care how many draft selections you’re offered, you don’t do it. Untouchable. Trading away a foundational piece, that wants to be there, signals to players that your organization doesn’t treat them well- and it signals to your fans there is zero reason to buy tickets for the next three years.
Secondly, Jeanty was the right selection; he was the best player available. Your arguments defending Pete and Geno are the O-line is terrible and the team needs a rebuild. Well, you don’t reach for need if you’re that far away; you take the BPA. Jeanty will look better with a better O-line, and a coach that hasn’t lost touch with the modern game.
Third, this season falls 90% on Pete, and 10% on whomever pushed to hire Pete. He’s given his sons jobs, meddled in the offense, refused to play young players, and probably pushed for Geno to be brought in. The Raiders looked better last season, and they arguably had a lesser team. How is that not on Pete?
Lastly, Geno can go. He reportedly wants out of Las Vegas, and I don’t imagine you’ll find a single Raider fan sad to see him and his middle finger in another uniform next season.
Crosby won’t be a foundational piece for much longer. His value will only go down. If you get 1st RD picks for him, you’d be foolish not to take them. He isn’t making any difference on this team and likely won’t in any rebuild. They did well trading Mack away, they’ll do well trading Crosby.
This team was way more than a 1st RD RB from winning. Yeah he was BPA, but not a BPA for them. You build a team with the lines first. Jeanty isn’t making a difference either because their OL isn’t good. Wasted pick.
I don’t see how it’s on Pete. Insert any HC on this team and nothing would change. Geno had a bad OL, no WRs, and banged up TEs. . How could he expected to move the ball up and down the field with that? You can say he sucks, but what other QB was going to the Raiders last off season? Not many. O’Connell isn’t the answer. Good luck finding anyone else to QB this team. They had a career #2 WR as their #1 (then traded him) How bad is that?
Respectfully, you can’t crush the Jeanty pick while arguing the Raiders did well in the Mack trade. This is the Mack trade, in review:
2019 first round (running back Josh Jacobs at No. 24 by Raiders)
2019 sixth round (cornerback Blessuan Austin at No. 196 by Jets)
2020 first round (cornerback Damon Arnette at No. 19 by Raiders)
2020 third round (receiver Bryan Edwards at No. 81 by Raiders)
Essentially, they traded Mack for Jacobs. Jacobs was great for the Raiders, I was a fan. That’s basically all they got in return for Mack though, and he was a first round RB. You’re saying you build the lines first, so how do you justify trading a front seven defensive piece for a RB then?
Before you argue they could’ve drafted better, this is how most drafts turn out. A team rarely hits on every pick. I don’t want to turn this into a novel, but I could give you multiple examples. This is why you don’t trade Crosby.
I already went over the issues with Pete, but I’ll give you a HC you could put in charge of this team and probably easily have three more wins: Ben Johnson. That ship has sailed, I know. Man, I don’t know how you can say it’s not on Pete, though. The Raiders have been running one of the most vanilla offensive schemes in the league, and it has Pete’s prints all over it.
Not just trade for picks, but freeing up cap space to sign FAs. I agree you don’t know how draft picks will work out, but better to have the picks for your future than not have them. Jeanty was a wasted pick on this team. I don’t see how you think it served them any good. RBs have a short life span, and there are many of them, why pick him on a team that won’t be competitive for at least a few more seasons. Does BJ win more games? Hard to say, he’s not there, nor did he want to be. Vanilla schemes for sure, but when your OL is banged up, you have no WRs, and maybe your TEs are playing (or not) are you supposed to run fancy complex schemes? No. I watched Geno force the ball and throw INTs because he had no other choice. The OL and WRs aren’t very good. So ok, fire everyone. Now what?
The Raiders don’t need the cap space. They’re projected to have the second most cap space in the league already. If the goal is to collect picks, the Raiders have enough space to bail Arizona or Miami out by absorbing some of Kyler or Tua’s money in exchange for picks. To me, that’s preferable to trading Crosby.
Good luck selling free agents you want to sign on coming to Vegas if you trade Crosby, too. The sales pitch at that point becomes: we’ll dramatically overpay you.
As far as Jeanty goes, it was far from a wasted pick. The left side of the Raiders O-line is solid, they just need to solve the right side. Caleb Rogers (who Pete refused to play) has looked good, albeit it in a small sample size. If they can find a right tackle, Jeanty might be able to cook a bit. Then, you take some pressure off the QB.
It’s apparent that Mark Davis is giving Brady the keys to the car, so to speak. Brady and Spytek work well together. You fire Pete, and you let them choose the coaches. I don’t know if they know what they’re doing, but the only way this has a chance of working is if everyone is on the same page. That’s what you do.
The QB situation is harder to solve, but I know Smith isn’t the guy.