The Las Vegas Raiders were all in on Ben Johnson to be their next head coach. There were rumors aplenty that the team was going to do whatever it took to land the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator.
However, it was clear that the lack of a quarterback was too big of an issue to overcome and Johnson decided to take the Chicago Bears. The Raiders seemed destined to hire Washington Commanders assistant general manager and former Lions executive Lance Newmark so that they could pair him with Johnson.
Now that the coach is no longer an option, it seems like the Raiders don’t have an interest in Newmark. Instead, the team is turning their sights to Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek, according to Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
“Spytek was part of the front office that brought Brady to Tampa Bay in 2020 and was his college teammate at Michigan. He’s now believed to be the front-runner at GM, according to league sources,” Reed and Tafur wrote in a Jan. 20 column.
Spytek’s connection to Brady is certainly notable but he also has decades of experience. He has worked in the front offices for the Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos. Though he would be a first-time general manager, the Raiders won’t find many high-end candidates who have as much experience.
Johnson Turned Down Raiders Because of QB
It was a surprise that the Raiders were even able to get an interview with Johnson let alone get as far in the process as they did. The team hasn’t won a playoff game in two decades and is a mess at quarterback.
For a while, the Raiders seemed like they could pull off a miracle, but in the end, the quarterback issue was too much to overcome.
“The uncertainty at quarterback was a major factor in Johnson’s decision to head elsewhere, according to league sources,” Reed and Tafur wrote. “[Caleb] Williams, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, had a solid rookie season with the Bears and has the potential to become one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. That’s something the Raiders simply couldn’t match.”
Time will tell if Williams is any good but he certainly has much more upside than Aidan O’Connell. It’s easy to see why that would be more appealing to Johnson.
Will Pete Carroll Be the Next Raiders Head Coach?
Now that the Raiders missed out on their top choice, they have to pivot. Former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is rumored to be the favorite for the job now.
Carroll has a 170-120 record as a head coach and a Super Bowl championship. During his Seahawks run, he only missed the playoffs four times in 14 seasons. He’s one of the best head coaches of the 2000s but the problem is that he’ll turn 74 during the 2025 season. That would make him the oldest head coach in NFL history.
While Carroll is in fantastic health for somebody of his age, it would be an odd strategy to entrust a total rebuild with the oldest coach ever. The Raiders don’t have an appealing job opening right now, especially since everybody knows that Johnson was their top coach. If Carroll is their only realistic option, they could certainly do a lot worse.
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Raiders Have New Front-Runner for GM Job Following Ben Johnson Decision