The Las Vegas Raiders still haven’t landed on a new head coach, but things could move quickly next week. The team has interviewed several candidates from the four teams in the Championship games.
One name to keep an eye on is Denver Broncos pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb. Though he has limited experience and has never called plays, he’s a fast-rising candidate.
At first, the Raiders seemed like the only team that was realistically considering him for their head coaching job, but that was before the Buffalo Bills‘ job opened up. He previously played there and is good friends with quarterback Josh Allen.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Webb is the perfect fit for the Raiders, but the Bills could be in the mix, as well.
“I think in a perfect world, the Raiders would like a young, bright offensive mind to shepherd Fernando Mendoza along … and to grow with him as your quarterback. Davis Webb would fit in Vegas, but Davis Webb might be the play in Buffalo,” Schefter said on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
If both teams want to hire him, the Bills will likely win out. They have a superstar quarterback, and it’s a franchise he knows well.
Bills Can’t Interview Webb Until Broncos Season is Over
The Bills had a very late start to their coaching search since they didn’t fire Sean McDermott until after the second round of the playoffs. This means that they cannot interview any coaching candidates from teams still in the playoffs until their season ends.
If the Broncos beat the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship, the Raiders can give Webb a second interview, but the Bills would have to wait until the Super Bowl.
As much as the Raiders wouldn’t want to see a division rival get to the Super Bowl, it might help them get Webb if he’s the coach they want. The Bills could get impatient and go with a candidate that they were able to interview. The Raiders wouldn’t be able to hire Webb until after the Super Bowl, but they’d at least have two chances to interview him before the Bills got one.
Webb Has OC Candidate in Mind
Since Webb hasn’t called plays before, it’s unlikely that he’ll plan to next season if he’s a head coach. He could potentially call plays in the future, but it’s a skill set he’ll have to work on.
Luckily, there’s a very experienced playcaller who could follow Webb if he gets a head coaching job. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury could be Webb’s offensive coordinator.
“If Broncos’ assistant Davis Webb gets a head coaching job — he’s in on Baltimore and Las Vegas, possibly Buffalo — one name floated in league circles as a possible OC pairing: Kliff Kingsbury, Webb’s coach at Texas Tech,” Fowler wrote on X.
“Kingsbury will have options and is in on head jobs, too.”
Kingsbury coached Webb at Texas Tech, and the two know each other very well. He’d be a very strong coach for Webb to have in his corner.
Raiders Face Competition for ‘Perfect’ HC Candidate: Adam Schefter