The Las Vegas Raiders made their first big splash since Tom Brady became a minority owner by hiring Pete Carroll to be their next head coach on January 24. The news was first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Las Vegas is amidst a 22-year drought in which it has not won the AFC West title. With the Kansas City Chiefs having won the division the last nine consecutive seasons, Brady and new general manager John Spytek are hiring Carroll in an attempt to dethrone the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
The Chiefs are on a historic run and the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers made the playoffs this season. That means if Carroll can right the ship for the Raiders then the AFC West could become the most competitive division in the entire league as soon as the 2025 season.
After failed head coach stints with the New York Jets and New England Patriots in the mid-to-late 1990s, Carroll became USC’s head coach in 2001 and finished his collegiate career with an 83-19 regular season record and 7-2 record in bowl games over nine seasons, per Sports Reference.
Carroll was hired to be the Seattle Seahawks head coach in 2010. During his 14 seasons in Seattle, he had a 137-89 regular season record, a 10-9 playoff record, two Super Bowl appearances, and a 1-1 record in the championship.
After the 2023 season, Carroll stepped down as the HC of Seattle and took on a senior advisor role with the Seahawks.
When Carroll turns 74 years old on September 15, he will become the oldest HC in NFL history.
Pete Carroll Has Money, Star Power to Succeed
Carroll is in an interesting situation in Las Vegas, as the team has the finances and star power to turn things around quickly for a Raiders team desperate for a culture cleanse.
The Raiders have the second-most cap space in the NFL this offseason with $92.5 million according to Over The Cap. On top of that, they have key players like Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins, and Brock Bowers under contract for at least the next two seasons, which gives Carroll and the team’s front office some star power to work with as they try to rebuild the rest of the roster and remain competitive in the process.
Though Las Vegas will likely project as the worst team in the AFC West in 2025, if the Raiders can be scrappy in year one of the Carroll regime and either the Broncos or the Chargers or both teams don’t take a step forward next season, the Raiders could make some noise in 2025.
X Users React to Raiders Hiring Pete Carroll
Users on X, formerly Twitter, react to the Raiders hiring Carroll to be their next head coach.
“I really don’t know how to feel. Pete was a good coach with a track record of winning. But it doesn’t feel right,” one person wrote. “It’s not his age. He’s an energetic 73 (I think that’s his age), with gas left in the tank. But he’s a cheerleader. We had one of those last year with AP and look where it got us. And he’s a defensive coach in an offensive league. I mean we could have done much worse, but I’m not super optimistic.”
“Great hire for LV,” another person wrote. “I’m a little shocked because I always envisioned Pete as one of those guys with nothing left to prove who’d stay retired But this is a huge get for the raiders.”
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Chiefs’ Division Rival Makes Historic Hiring in an Attempt to Dethrone KC