Pete Carroll’s return to the NFL sideline was more of a 180 than he expected when he became las vegas raiders coach. Carroll said the Raiders would win “a lot of games” in their first season. Instead, he led Las Vegas to a 3-14 record – his worst record as a coach – and the team fired him Monday morning on a three-year deal with 17 games left for the 74-year-old.
Carroll firmly believed that his winning history (nine seasons with at least 10 wins and one Super Bowl XLVIII win) would be enough to get the Raiders on the right track. He was “blindly optimistic” about the talent on the roster and throughout the brutal season he was reminded that the Raiders were far more competitive than he expected.
Las Vegas lost nine games by double digits and was eliminated twice.
quarterback geno smith Throwed a league-high 17 interceptions. Carroll fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and special teams coordinator Tom McMahon mid-season. Despite the newbie running back ashton jeantyThe Raiders ranked last in rushing yards (74.9 per game).
The philosophies of Carroll and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham never meshed well. Las Vegas was 26th in points allowed (26.3) and 24th in defensive efficiency (44.81).
The Raiders’ disastrous season serves as a reminder that Las Vegas is moving toward a complete rebuild. The Raiders will do so with Carroll out of the picture and have to find their fourth head coach after 2023.
“I never dreamed this would happen,” Carroll said. –Ryan McFadden
What does this mean for the locker room and the franchise?
The players enjoyed playing under Carroll and had no objection to his staying. Plus, they understand this is a results-based league, and the Raiders took a step back after last season, when they won four games under former coach Antonio Pierce. By bringing in Carroll and reuniting him with Smith, the Raiders attempted to become competitive immediately, despite the talent on the roster indicating otherwise.
Moving forward, the Raiders will likely pursue a rebuild. This does not mean that it will be a long process. Las Vegas already has some talented young players at tackle and tight end. brock bowersThe Raiders are projected to have 10 draft picks, including the first pick and the second-most cap space in the league, –McFadden
What went wrong with the attackers?
When Carroll confidently outlined his bold expectations for the season in training camp he may have put himself in a bad position. Even though he was determined to win immediately, general manager John Spytek said his focus was on building for the long term.
Las Vegas struggled on both sides of the ball all year. The Raiders were near the bottom in almost every offensive category. On defense, they were plagued by poor tackling, an inability to get down the field on third downs, and inconsistency in pressuring the quarterback. defensive end max crosby Finished with 10 sacks, but the overall unit ranked 31st in pressure rate (26.6%) and 27th in sacks (29). –McFadden
How does the 2025 season affect Carroll’s legacy?
Although this Raiders season was as disastrous as it could have been, it doesn’t drag down Carroll’s legacy much, if at all. Carroll is far from the first coach who should have hung up after a few years, but he is one of the few coaches to win a Super Bowl and a national championship.
The wounds are still green, but Carroll’s 2025 will soon fade into the background of the disappointing Raiders seasons of 2010 and 2020, eliminating a common fact in his career bio. And if this first pick turns out to be a franchise-changing quarterback, so be it… –Ben Solak
How desirable is the Raiders’ coach opening, and what type of coach will they be looking for?
The key to all this, from everything I’ve been told, is Tom Brady. Although Spytek is making the calls and deals, Brady has immense influence on decision making. He led the way last offseason to coaching candidate Ben Johnson and quarterback Matthew StaffordBut the attackers also did not find anything. So, he turned to Carroll and Smith. That didn’t work out, so expect Brady to be aggressive in finding a coach for himself this offseason.
A lot of the speculation involves candidates with Michigan ties (Jesse Minter?), coaches with Patriots ties (Brian Flores?) or candidates the Raiders have explored in the past and are available again (Vance Joseph? Robert Saleh?). This job will be more desirable for candidates who know Brady a little and agree with his level of influence on organizational decision making. And the Raiders will need a solid scheme at quarterback to make it a desirable assignment. If a potential coach is enamored with one of the top prospects under center, the No. 1 pick in the draft could help. –Dan Graziano
What should the Raiders do with the No. 1 pick and what does it mean for Geno Smith?
The obvious need for the Raiders at the top of this draft is to find a franchise quarterback to go along with the young offensive playmakers that Las Vegas has already acquired. Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) is the top pick in this class, and he will represent a clear vision for the future in Las Vegas. His strong pocket-passing ability will match up perfectly with Bowers and complement the Jeanty-led run game.
Mendoza has thrown 36 touchdown passes and just six interceptions in 14 games. Smith may be retained as a placeholder for the rookie, or he may be on another team next season, but a change is coming at QB. –matt miller
