The Las Vegas Raiders’ decision to part ways with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly just over a week ago didn’t exactly come out of the blue, but what’s followed has been a steady unraveling of the dysfunction behind the scenes. And now, thanks to former Raider great Lincoln Kennedy, we’re getting a clearer-if still murky-picture of just how fractured things were inside the building.
Speaking on the Locked on Raiders Squad Show podcast, Kennedy dropped a revealing nugget: Kelly and head coach Pete Carroll reportedly didn’t even speak to each other in the facility.
“I heard grumblings that Chip Kelly and Pete Carroll didn’t talk in the facility, which is unheard of,” Kennedy said.
Let’s pause there. In today’s NFL, where collaboration between head coach and offensive coordinator is not just expected but essential, a communication breakdown at that level is more than a red flag-it’s a full-blown fire alarm. Whether it was philosophical differences, a power struggle, or simply a failure to connect, the lack of dialogue between Carroll and Kelly speaks volumes about the internal state of the Raiders’ coaching staff.
Kennedy also noted that he saw Carroll working closely with defensive coordinator Patrick Graham-adjusting, strategizing, coaching. That kind of visible synergy is what you expect from a head coach.
But if that same connection didn’t exist with Kelly on the offensive side, it raises a few pressing questions. Most notably: How could Carroll have been meddling in Kelly’s offense, as some reports have suggested, if the two weren’t even speaking?
That contradiction cuts to the heart of the confusion. On one hand, there were whispers of Carroll undermining Kelly’s system. On the other, Kelly reportedly had full autonomy-and yet still managed to lose the locker room with questionable play calls and a scheme that left even his quarterback scratching his head.
It paints a picture of a fractured operation, one where roles weren’t clearly defined-or worse, where they were defined but ignored.
But Kennedy didn’t stop there. He also hinted at an even bigger issue looming over the organization: Who’s really running the show in Las Vegas?
“I don’t even know if the players in that locker room want to admit who’s running the show, if they do know,” Kennedy said.
That’s a loaded statement. And while Kennedy didn’t name names, it’s hard not to read between the lines-especially when you consider comments made recently by former team CEO Amy Trask.
Speaking on CBS Sports HQ, Trask pulled back the curtain on the Raiders’ internal power structure, pointing to longtime NFL broadcaster Jim Gray as a key figure behind the scenes. According to Trask, Gray-who played a pivotal role in facilitating Tom Brady’s minority ownership stake in the team-has since become deeply involved in the day-to-day workings of the organization.
“This is having an impact on the organization, not only off the field, but on the field,” Trask said. “Pete Carroll is a very good head coach, but the problems we’re seeing on the field are related to the problems that are rampant throughout the organization.”
That’s a strong statement from someone who knows the inner workings of the Raiders as well as anyone. And it echoes the same sentiment Kennedy touched on: that the Raiders’ issues aren’t just about X’s and O’s-they’re about leadership, structure, and clarity.
Then there’s the Tom Brady factor. Ever since Brady came on board as a minority owner, the organization has gone out of its way to downplay his influence.
But the whispers haven’t stopped. Earlier in the season, an NFL Network report claimed that Brady and Kelly were working together on gameplans.
That report didn’t last long-it was quietly taken down without any correction or clarification.
Why the sudden disappearance? And why no follow-up? It’s hard not to wonder if the story hit a little too close to the truth.
What we’re left with is a Raiders organization that feels like it’s being pulled in multiple directions. You’ve got a Hall of Fame quarterback turned minority owner who may or may not be shaping gameplans.
You’ve got a head coach trying to steady the ship while dealing with internal turbulence. You had an offensive coordinator who, by multiple accounts, lost the locker room and couldn’t connect with his quarterback-or his head coach.
And you’ve got key voices like Kennedy and Trask raising serious concerns about the organizational structure.
The Raiders have talent. They have tradition.
And they now have a minority owner with arguably the greatest résumé in NFL history. But what they don’t have-at least right now-is clarity.
Clarity of leadership. Clarity of roles.
Clarity of direction.
And until that’s fixed, the product on the field is going to continue to reflect the chaos behind the scenes.