Lead
Pete Carroll’s brief return to the NFL ended on January 5, 2026, when the Las Vegas Raiders dismissed him after a 3–14 season. Carroll, 74, had been hired with the stated aim of restoring the franchise to playoff contention but leaves after one year that produced the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for Las Vegas. The team confirmed the move Monday and said general manager John Spytek will remain in place and work closely with minority owner Tom Brady on the rebuild. The Raiders closed the campaign with a 14–12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, a result that only preserved the top draft position because the New York Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys earlier that day.
Key Takeaways
- The Raiders fired Pete Carroll on January 5, 2026, after a 3–14 season, the worst mark of his 19-year NFL head-coaching span.
- Las Vegas will hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft; the final-week win over Kansas City did not eliminate that slot because the Giants beat Dallas.
- This coaching change begins the franchise’s second consecutive head-coach search; the next hire will be the Raiders’ fifth full-time coach since 2021.
- John Spytek, hired last offseason as general manager, will lead football operations and collaborate with minority owner Tom Brady, whose ownership was approved in October 2024.
- Carroll’s staff changes included firing offensive coordinator Chip Kelly on November 23 after offensive struggles, including a last-ranked rushing attack and quarterback Geno Smith finishing with 17 interceptions and 55 sacks allowed (tied for the league lead).
- Carroll’s prior head-coaching résumé includes 14 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks (137–89–1 regular season) and a Super Bowl title following the 2013 season.
Background
The Raiders tapped Carroll in January with the public expectation that his experience would accelerate a turnaround. He arrived after the club elevated Antonio Pierce from interim coach in 2024; Pierce finished that season 4–13 and was replaced. The hiring also followed a front-office shakeup that installed John Spytek as general manager last offseason and a minority ownership stake for Tom Brady approved in October 2024.
Carroll’s resume made him an attractive, high-profile option: 14 seasons in Seattle where he became the franchise’s winningest coach, a Super Bowl winner from the 2013 season and two collegiate national titles at USC (one later vacated). But the context in Las Vegas offered little runway for an extended rebuild—roster limitations, limited draft capital and an impatient fan base increased the pressure for immediate results.
Main Event
The Raiders announced Carroll’s firing on Monday, following a season that produced just three victories. Las Vegas opened with a win over the New England Patriots but managed only two more wins the rest of the year, culminating in the 3–14 record that triggered the change. The club’s lone late-season bright spot—a 14–12 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs—was not enough to alter the team’s overall standing because of results elsewhere in Week 18.
Internal turbulence surfaced midseason. A lopsided loss to the Indianapolis Colts in October underscored how far the roster was from contention, and on November 23 the Raiders dismissed offensive coordinator Chip Kelly after an extended slide on offense. Kelly had been signed as one of the highest-paid coordinators in the league that offseason, but tension between play-calling approaches became evident as early as Week 2.
On the field, the offense failed to establish a dependable rushing identity: 2024 first-round running back pick Ashton Jeanty was underused in varied schemes and the rushing unit finished last in the league. Geno Smith, the starting quarterback, finished the season with 17 interceptions and a total of 55 sacks taken—numbers that reflect both schematic issues and protection problems. Following the season finale, Carroll said he wanted to return and had not had discussions about retirement, but the franchise moved to a new direction.
Analysis & Implications
The decision to part ways with Carroll after a single season illustrates the franchise’s limited tolerance for protracted rebuilding. Las Vegas’ front office and minority ownership signaled an appetite for rapid change when they hired a veteran coach rather than pursuing a multi-year development plan with a younger leader. That gamble failed to pay off and leaves the club with a clear short-term asset: the top pick in the 2026 draft, widely expected to be used on a quarterback prospect.
John Spytek’s continued role as general manager suggests the organization prefers continuity in personnel structure while it searches for the next head coach. Spytek will work publicly and privately with Tom Brady, who has thus far been an advisory presence; Monday’s announcement made clear Brady will have a substantive voice in choosing the new regime. The pairing of a new coach and the No. 1 pick gives the franchise an opportunity to change both leadership and long-term direction quickly.
For Carroll’s legacy, the season is a notable outlier. The 3–14 mark is the worst of his modern-era NFL tenure and only the third time he has suffered double-digit losses as a head coach—joining 1994 (6–10 with the Jets) and 2021 (7–10 with the Seahawks). The abrupt end in Las Vegas will likely be discussed in assessments of how veteran coaches fit into contemporary roster-building constraints and whether short-term hires are wise for clubs in transition.
Comparison & Data
| Season | Team | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | New York Jets | Pete Carroll | 6–10 |
| 2021 | Seattle Seahawks | Pete Carroll | 7–10 |
| 2025 | Las Vegas Raiders | Pete Carroll | 3–14 |
| 2024 | Las Vegas Raiders | Antonio Pierce | 4–13 |
The table highlights Carroll’s three seasons with double-digit losses and the immediate predecessor year under Antonio Pierce. Those figures emphasize how anomalous 2025 was relative to Carroll’s longer run in Seattle and underscore the Raiders’ recent instability: multiple head-coaching changes and sub-.500 seasons have become the pattern.
Reactions & Quotes
Team and league figures responded quickly. The Raiders’ public statement emphasized continuity in the front office while acknowledging the need for a fresh direction; internally, decision-makers framed the move as part of a broader rebuild strategy led by Spytek and Brady.
“I’m processing it poorly, to tell you the truth. Because I did expect to win right out of the chute.”
Pete Carroll (postgame comment)
This remark from Carroll came earlier in the season after a tough stretch and was widely cited as evidence he expected an immediate turnaround that never materialized. Another voice focused on personnel: the club cited John Spytek’s ongoing role in leading football operations and working with Tom Brady on next steps.
“John Spytek will remain in place and lead the football operations in close collaboration with minority owner Tom Brady.”
Las Vegas Raiders (team statement)
Unconfirmed
- Precise role and decision-making authority Tom Brady will hold in the coach selection process remain unspecified beyond the team’s statement about collaboration.
- No final decision has been announced about whether the Raiders will use the No. 1 pick on a quarterback; draft strategy discussions are ongoing and unconfirmed.
- Reports of internal disagreements over play calling between Carroll and other staff members are based on public descriptions and team moves, but full details of internal meetings have not been independently verified.
Bottom Line
Pete Carroll’s one-year tenure in Las Vegas ended with a dismissal that reflects both the club’s impatience and the limits of turning around a roster in short order. The team leaves the season with the most valuable draft asset—a No. 1 pick—and with a front-office structure that keeps John Spytek at the helm while Tom Brady assumes a higher-profile advisory role.
The next weeks will define the franchise’s path: the coach the Raiders hire will likely be chosen with the incoming draft class and a potential quarterback selection in mind. For Carroll, the abbreviated Las Vegas chapter will be a notable footnote in a long career that includes franchise records in Seattle and a Super Bowl title.
Sources
- The New York Times (media report)
- Las Vegas Raiders Twitter (official team account)