The Las Vegas Raiders continue to take their time with one of the most important decisions of their offseason - hiring their next head coach. And while the process has been deliberate, it's also been a bit of a moving target. With names coming off the board and timelines getting complicated, the picture remains anything but clear.
John Spytek and Tom Brady - who’s been involved in the search in some capacity - are leading a thorough evaluation of potential candidates. But with each passing day, the list of available top-tier options is shrinking.
Jesse Minter, Brian Daboll, and Joe Brady were all linked to the Raiders at one point, but each has since landed elsewhere. That leaves the franchise looking for the right fit as others make their moves.
Klint Kubiak, currently the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, has emerged as one of the most coveted names in this cycle. His stock has risen quickly, and for good reason - his offensive approach has drawn praise across the league.
But with Seattle advancing to the Super Bowl, the timing complicates things. Teams can still interview him this week, but so far, the Raiders haven’t scheduled anything.
That’s led to a lot of speculation about Davis Webb, who remains firmly in the mix. The former quarterback and current Broncos passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach has interviewed for both the Raiders and Bills head coaching jobs. But the fact that Las Vegas hasn’t pulled the trigger yet could suggest they’re waiting to see if Kubiak becomes available - or at least want another conversation with him before making a final call.
Webb’s situation took another twist on Tuesday when the Denver Broncos fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. While that move may have been expected, the timing raises eyebrows.
It could be Sean Payton’s attempt to keep Webb in Denver by offering him a promotion. That theory gained even more traction after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Webb is now drawing interest for offensive coordinator roles from multiple teams, including the Eagles, Giants, and Ravens.
That kind of attention tells us two things. First, Webb’s stock is rising - even if he doesn’t land a head coaching gig this cycle, he’s clearly viewed as a sharp offensive mind with leadership potential. Second, it may signal that teams around the league don’t expect him to get the Raiders job, so they’re jumping in while he’s still available.
If Webb starts accepting interviews for coordinator positions, it could signal that he’s moving on from the head coaching race in Las Vegas. In that case, it would be hard not to read it as a sign that Spytek and Brady are leaning heavily toward Kubiak - assuming they can get him in the building.
There’s also the possibility that Webb’s camp is using this surge of coordinator interest to apply a little pressure. After all, just because the Bills passed on him doesn’t mean he’s going to sit around as a fallback option. The Raiders aren’t the only team in the market, and time is of the essence.
The longer this drags on, the more anxious Raider Nation becomes. And understandably so.
Getting a head coach in place is just the first domino. The rest of the staff, the offseason strategy, free agency prep - it all flows from that hire.
Patience is a virtue, sure, but at some point, the Raiders will need to make their move. And when they do, it’ll tell us a lot about the direction this franchise wants to go.