The Raiders' offense hit rock bottom this season, and the decision to part ways with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was, by most accounts, long overdue. But inside the walls of the organization-or at least among those close to it-the move caught some by surprise. Not because of the results on the field, but because of the power dynamics off it.
According to Raider Nation Radio host Q Myers, the internal structure in Las Vegas may not have been as straightforward as it appeared. Speaking on the Locked on Raiders Squad Show podcast, Myers suggested that Kelly wasn’t reporting to head coach Pete Carroll at all, but rather to part-owner Tom Brady.
“I didn’t think his boss was ever Pete Carroll,” Myers said. “When a guy that’s supposedly underneath one guy is actually not underneath him, it’s hard to establish who’s calling what.”
That kind of organizational ambiguity can throw a wrench into any team’s plans, especially when the product on the field is already struggling. And for the Raiders, it’s been more than just a rough patch-it’s been a freefall. The team was shut out by the Philadelphia Eagles, marking their eighth straight loss and underscoring just how far things have unraveled.
Myers pointed to the lack of clarity in leadership as a key issue, saying, “That’s why they’ve got to get their power structure in place before they make any kind of decisions. Or else it’s going to be the same. It’s going to be rinse and repeat, just might be different names involved in it.”
There were rumors last month that Pete Carroll had taken over play-calling duties or otherwise interfered with Kelly’s offense, but that narrative was firmly denied by Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter. Speaking on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast, Carpenter pushed back hard against any suggestion that Carroll had sabotaged the offense.
“Any type of reporting that Pete meddled or did anything to sabotage [the offense], I’m not calling the reporter out, but I’m calling out whoever the source is,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter emphasized that, based on his own direct involvement, this was Kelly’s offense from start to finish. He didn’t name his source-citing journalistic standards-but made it clear that the information came from someone he trusts implicitly.
“The person who told me definitively that Chip ran the offense has never come out and publicly denied that,” Carpenter added. “So unless I find out they have, I won’t name the person. But I can tell you definitively this was Chip’s offense.”
As for the rumors about Carroll’s involvement? Carpenter hinted he had a strong idea of where they came from but stopped short of naming names.
“I have a sneaking suspicion who is behind those rumors,” he said. “And I bet if I gave you a guess, you would not be able to guess who I think it is.”
Meanwhile, the on-field product continues to spiral. The Raiders’ shutout loss to the Eagles was another low point in a season full of them.
On the latest show, analysts Lincoln Kennedy, Q Myers, and Shantelle Chand broke down what went wrong-again-and whether there were any silver linings to take from the loss. Spoiler: they were few and far between.
The effort level, the execution, and the overall direction of the team are all in question. And with the losing streak now at eight games, the Raiders aren’t just searching for answers-they’re searching for a foundation.
Because until the hierarchy is clear and the decision-makers are aligned, it doesn’t matter who’s calling plays. The results will look the same.