Pete Carroll’s Future in Vegas: Can the Raiders Afford Another Reset?
Pete Carroll’s first season in Las Vegas hasn’t exactly been the homecoming party some hoped it would be. With five games left on the schedule, the Raiders sit in a familiar spot: stuck in the middle of uncertainty, trying to figure out if they’ve got the right man steering the ship or if it’s time to reset-again.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Carroll’s seat is heating up. And while that’s not surprising given the team’s struggles, there’s a growing sense that the organization may be hesitant to hit the eject button after just one year. Raider Nation Radio’s Q Myers echoed that sentiment this week, suggesting the front office might be more inclined to give Carroll a second chance than to jump into another coaching search.
“I don’t think they want to fire him,” Myers said on the Locked on Raiders podcast. “If they’re going to keep him, they’ve got to let him bring in who fits with what he wants to do.”
That’s the crux of the conversation right now: If the Raiders do stick with Carroll, it can’t be halfway. It has to be his program, his vision, his staff. And that’s where things get complicated-particularly when it comes to the offensive line.
The O-Line Dilemma: Family Ties and Football Realities
There’s no sugarcoating it: the Raiders’ offensive line has been a mess this year. And unfortunately for Carroll, it’s his son, Brennan Carroll, who’s been overseeing that unit.
From training camp on, the decisions have been puzzling-like asking rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson to “compete” at multiple positions instead of locking him into one and letting him grow. The result?
An offensive line that’s struggled to protect the quarterback, open up the run game, or establish any sort of consistency.
It’s not just a football issue-it’s a leadership one. And it may force Carroll into one of the toughest decisions of his career.
Myers floated the idea that the Raiders could present Carroll with an ultimatum: stay on as head coach, but move on from your son as offensive line coach.
“They may say, ‘Pete, we don’t want to fire you. You’ve got a track record.
You’ve turned organizations around. But your son is going to have to go,’” Myers said.
“He might say, ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’”
That’s the kind of crossroads that tests more than just a coach’s football acumen-it tests his willingness to make emotionally brutal calls for the greater good of the team. If Carroll wants to keep his job, he may have to make that call.
Offensive Identity Crisis
Beyond the O-line, the Raiders’ offense as a whole has lacked identity. Greg Olson, back in the play-calling role, hasn’t been able to spark much rhythm. Injuries haven’t helped, and the schedule hasn’t been kind, but the bottom line is simple: the offense needs a reboot.
If Carroll stays, the expectation is that he’ll get to choose an offensive coordinator who aligns with his vision-not one handpicked by ownership or influenced by big names around the building.
“It has to be what the head coach wants to do,” Myers emphasized. “Not necessarily what Tom Brady or Mark Davis wants to do.”
That’s a subtle but important point. If the Raiders are serious about building something sustainable, they need to empower their head coach-whoever that is-to build the staff and scheme that fits their philosophy. Otherwise, it’s just more of the same: mismatched ideas, short-term fixes, and another offseason spent searching for answers.
Five Games, One Final Impression
There’s still time-barely-for Carroll to make his case. Five games remain, and while the deck is stacked against him (injuries, a tough closing schedule, and a fan base running low on patience), there’s also opportunity.
Show progress. Show cohesion.
Show that this team is moving in the right direction, even if the wins don’t pile up.
At this point, the bar isn’t sky-high. Competent football-especially on offense-would go a long way. A few clean games, a few moments of promise, and Carroll might buy himself another year to get this thing right.
The Raiders don’t want to fire another coach. But they also can’t afford to keep spinning their wheels. For Pete Carroll, the next five weeks might be less about saving his job and more about proving he still knows how to build a winner-starting with some hard decisions and a long look in the mirror.