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HENDERSON, Nev. — Here at the head coach’s office at the Las Vegas Raiders headquarters, the revolving door continues to spin.
Pete Carroll, the latest to walk through, then out that revolving door, was fired Monday, just one year into what was supposed to be a three-year deal. The 74-year-old Carroll was unable to facilitate a return to success for a franchise that has wallowed in mediocrity even before it moved from Oakland to Las Vegas.
Carroll was one of four NFL coaches let go on what is traditionally known as “Black Monday” around the league. Arizona fired Jonathan Gannon, Cleveland parted ways with Kevin Stefanski and Atlanta moved on from Raheem Morris.
General manager John Spytek, who will remain in his role going forward, spoke Monday about the decision to move on from Carroll following the Raiders’ 3-14 season.
“This was a collaborative decision,” Spytek said. “But I want to make it clear that I am personally responsible for our record this season. It starts and stops with me.”
Carroll joins Jon Gruden, Rich Bisaccia, Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce as head coaches who have been through the revolving door in the team’s six-year tenure in Las Vegas. As you would imagine, the players were sad to see Carroll go. Yet, they were hopeful about the future.
“I’m super optimistic,” said wide receiver Tre Tucker, who led all Raiders receivers in yards gained with 696. “Despite the record, there’s always points in a season where you grab a win and gain momentum. We could’ve capitalized on it but we didn’t.
“When we played the Bears, we were 1-2. They were 1-2. One team went to 2-2 the other to 1-3. We went to 3-14 and they went to 12, 13, whatever they were (11-6).
“But there’s a lot of talent here. I’m excited to see what we do with it.”
Running back Ashton Jeanty, who missed a 1,000-yard rushing season by just 25 yards as a rookie, knows change is coming.
“Obviously, a new head coach is coming in. I just hope they bring in the right guy,” he said. “I’m looking forward to winning more.”
So who will that next guy be?
There have been various reports that link Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, along with Klint Kubiak and Chris Shula to the now-open position. Three of them have prior head coaching experience — Flores in Miami, Saleh with the Jets and Kingsbury with the Cardinals. And while Kubiak and Shula have not been in charge, they are a good fit for what is becoming a growing trend in the NFL to get younger blood on the sidelines. Kubiak, who is Seattle’s offensive coordinator, is 38 while Shula, who is the Rams’ defensive coordinator, is 39.
“We’re looking for someone who can help build this the right way,” Spytek said. “We’re going in open-minded. Whoever is the best fit for the Las Vegas Raiders is who we’re going to hire.”
As for the decision-making process in terms of hiring the next head coach, running the draft and overseeing the construction of the 2026 roster, Tom Brady, the team’s minority owner, is expected to take a more active role along with Spytek.
“What really resonates with Tom and I is our shared vision of football,” Spytek said. “We see football similar. We don’t see it the same. We have discussions and disagreements and I’m not afraid to tell him that. We have had a lot of success that way. It’s about team before self. It’s about accountability and work ethic.”
Whoever ultimately is hired will be expected to be prepared to either directly develop or hire an offensive coordinator to work with Fernando Mendoza, the Indiana quarterback who figures to be selected by Las Vegas with the No. 1 overall draft pick.
Then there’s the future of Maxx Crosby, the five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher and the Raiders’ best player and undisputed leader, both on the field and in the locker room. Crosby’s season was cut short when the team opted to put him on injured reserve for the final two games, a decision that didn’t sit well with him as he had been playing with a knee injury for much of the year going back to Week 6.
Spytek was non-committal when asked if the Raiders would listen to offers for Crosby, who is 28 and has a history of injuries over the course of his seven-year career with the Silver and Black.
“I love and respect Maxx,” Spytek said. “I’ve had the opportunity the last couple of weeks to spend a lot of time with Maxx. He embodies what a Raider is”.
The Raiders also have $105 million in salary cap space and that number could grow depending on who stays and who goes. Quarterback Geno Smith will have one year left on his deal with Las Vegas worth $26.5 million but his cap hit would be $18 million if he is released, so it will be a shock if he’s still a Raider come spring when mini-camp begins at the Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Aidan O’Connell, who helped direct the team to its 14-12 win over Kansas City Sunday, has one year left on his original deal. O’Connell is set to make $1.27 million in 2026. Kenny Pickett, who started Sunday vs. the Chiefs, does not have a contract at this point for next season with the Raiders. So the quarterback room could look completely different come training camp in July.
The other challenge? Get the many players who were injured and missed significant time this season, healthy. That includes Crosby if the Raiders elect to keep him, tight end Brock Bowers, offensive tackle Kolton Miller, safety Jeremy Chinn, cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly along with center Jackson Powers-Johnson and guard Jordan Meredith.
But at some point, the revolving door to the head coach’s door must close. And that point is now.
“We have a tremendous opportunity to build this franchise the right way,” Spytek said. “We’ve got a plan in place and we’re going to start working on it.”
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