Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is in the hottest seat in the NFL, and a Wednesday report adds new evidence for why he will likely be one-and-done in Sin City.
When the Raiders hired the 74-year-old coach earlier this year. They knew there would be some risk. At his age, and considering how his legendary run with the Seattle Seahawks ended, a case could be made that the game had passed him by.
- Pete Carroll Record: 172-134-1 (2-14 with Raiders)
However, after Antonio Pierce’s inexperience as a head coach led to a 4-13 finish in 2024, it made sense to bring in a coach like Carroll and his Hall of Fame-worthy resume. Unfortunately, year one for him has been an absolute disaster. The team has already lost 14 games, just the second time in team history that has happened, and they can tread new ground if they lose their final game of the season this weekend.
It’s no wonder that Carroll is far from a lock to return in 2026. Especially for a volatile franchise that has had five different head coaches since 2020. It seems very likely the Raiders will lose in Week 18 as they are clearly trying to tank to get the No. 1 pick in April’s draft. And according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, that current strategy is probably already factoring in a new coach to mentor the top pick in next year’s event.
LV Raiders Want a New Coach for Whoever They Select With No. 1 Pick?
“My sense is that a lot of people are watching Las Vegas for the potential that Pete Carroll is one-and-done with the Raiders,” he wrote. “This season has gone quite poorly, and they seem to be positioning themselves for the No. 1 draft pick. So the theory is they might want someone else around to develop that selection if it’s a quarterback.”
After losing to the New York Giants this weekend, Las Vegas passed them to get control of the top pick in 2026. Another loss would guarantee that. The Raiders badly need to find a potential franchise QB. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and high-potential Oregon QB Dante Moore are expected to be the team’s choice with their top selection in April.
