The Las Vegas Raiders cleared house last January, firing head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco. It meant the start of a new era for the storied franchise, with legendary quarterback Tom Brady taking on a prominent role in the front office as a minority owner and decision-maker.
Nearly a year later, the Raiders are as bad as they’ve ever been and changes again feel necessary. While having a revolving door at head coach and the constant instability in leadership positions is a well-deserved knock on the organization, Las Vegas also can’t let the patterns from this season be repeated just to avoid having another one-and-done head coach.
With that in mind, we’re highlighting 4 Raiders offseason moves that will need to be made.
Las Vegas Raiders Fire Pete Carroll
Immediately after Week 18, Black Monday for the NFL, Raiders head coach Pete Carroll needs to be fired. Hired to bring stability and a winning culture to the organization, Las Vegas will finish this season with fewer wins than it had a year ago under Pierce. The franchise is now effectively ‘tanking’ for the first overall pick, alienating edge rusher Maxx Crosby in the process. Las Vegas can offer Carroll the dignified exit, retiring for good, but the end result on Monday, Jan. 5 needs to be that Carroll is fired.
Related: Predicting NFL Coaches Fired
Klint Kubiak Hired as Raiders Coach
As for his replacement, we would be targeting Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Before Raider Nation pushes back on another Seahawks coach coming to Las Vegas, we will note that Kubiak has zero ties to Pete Carroll. The 38-year-old, who is the son of Gary Kubiak, worked his way up the ranks from quarterbacks coach (Minnesota Vikings 2019-20) to passing game coordinator (2022 Denver Broncos and 2023 San Francisco 49ers) before landing play-calling duties for the New Orleans Saints in 2024. When the coaching staff in New Orleans was overhauled, Kubiak took the same role in Seattle.
In 2025, Kubiak’s offense ranks fourth in yards per play (6.0) and ninth in points per drive (2.36). He has helped Sam Darnold maintain his level of play from Minnesota, and Seattle entered Week 17 ranked eighth in Success Rate (46.7 percent) on offense. Kubiak has learned the ropes from some excellent head coaches, and his offensive prowess, paired with his work with quarterbacks, is perfect for a team poised to draft a rookie QB.
Related: NFL Coaching Candidates 2026
Sign C Tyler Linderbaum in NFL Free Agency
Ordinarily, there would be a slim-to-none chance that a reigning three-time Pro Bowl selection at offensive lineman hits NFL free agency ahead of his age-26 season. However, the Baltimore Ravens didn’t pick up Tyler Linderbaum’s fifth-year option (fully guaranteed) for the same reason they won’t use the franchise tag on him. Offensive linemen are grouped together for the tag, meaning Baltimore would owe him nearly $25 million. For context, the highest-paid center in the NFL (Creed Humphrey) makes $18 million per year.
That creates an opening for Las Vegas. Linderbaum’s agent will want his star client to hit the open market, as interior offensive linemen of this caliber who are just entering their prime years rarely hit free agency. The Raiders could offer him a deal making him the first center in NFL history to make $20 million per year, locking in arguably the second-best center in football for the next four to five seasons.
Draft Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore Without Trading Up
As prospects, there isn’t enough separation between Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore to warrant the Raiders trading up for the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft if they don’t have it already. Moore is less experienced than Mendoza, and he lost the head-to-head battle when Indiana and Oregon faced off this season. With that said, Moore’s physical tools are better.
The key thing is simply not trading up and sacrificing much-needed draft capital to overhaul this roster for either of the two quarterback prospects. Mendoza is slightly more pro-ready, and his leadership would be a welcome addition in the Raiders locker room. With that said, Moore’s ceiling is enticing, and he would also be walking into an offense that already has Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers. It is a flip of the coin who Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek like more between the two top quarterback prospects, but the key thing is staying put and taking whichever of the two is available.
Related: 2026 NFL Mock Draft
