Raiders fire warning: Will Pete Carroll be one-and-done in Las Vegas? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
When the Las Vegas Raiders hired head coach Pete Carroll this past offseason, things were supposed to get better following the disastrous tenure of former head coach Antonio Pierce.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGranted, we knew the Raiders did not have a team good enough to compete for anything significant, but the Super Bowl-winning coach was at least supposed to provide leadership and stability for a franchise that needed both.
Instead, the Raiders are just as dysfunctional as ever amid a 2-10 season and there is zero progress being made on any front.
We've also seen multiple coaches fired so far, including offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who was just one of many issues with this team in 2025.
Will Pete Carroll be one-and-done?
There is absolutely a scenario where Carroll could be cut loose after this season. The Raiders are no strangers to making such a move, as they showed with Pierce.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Raiders and Carroll were always a terrible match.
At 74 years old, Carroll made it quite clear he has no interest in a full rebuild and he was always going to try and compete right away. That was the last thing the Raiders needed, as Las Vegas needs a full teardown to the studs.
“It took us a few years to get to the very top of the last couple programs I was with,” Carroll said in January. “We’re starting right now and going for it immediately.... We’re going to start right now, (we’re) going to go after it and build this team as quickly as we can.”
Carroll is hurting the youngsters
Because of Carroll's desire to compete now, the Raiders' youngsters aren't getting enough or any playing time this season, which will only stunt their growth.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNow, instead of having a bunch of young players with experience under their belts from this season, Las Vegas will enter 2026 with those guys being almost as inexperienced as they were when they entered the league.
This has been the most egregious mistake Carroll has made in 2025, and that's saying something because there have been many.
The Jackson Powers-Johnson debacle
The team's bizarre handling of 2024 second-round pick Jackson Powers-Johnson has been yet another stain on Carroll's first season.
JPJ was the clear-cut option to start at center in 2025 after showing a ton of promise in his rookie year. Instead, the Raiders gave the job to Jordan Meredith and forced JPJ to compete against Alex Cappa for one of the guard spots, even though the Oregon product was clearly better.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBear in mind, Meredith had zero starting experience at center, and fast forward to Week 13 and he has now been benched, which only underscores Carroll's blunder.
Carroll's blind loyalty to Geno Smith
Carroll's dedication to sticking with Geno Smith has also been baffling.
Say what you want about Chip Kelly's offense, but Smith is at least half of the reason why Las Vegas' unit has been among the worst in the league this season.
Las Vegas traded for Kenny Pickett but has not given him a shot yet. Sure, chances are Pickett isn't going to be the guy, either, but with no future prospects at quarterback, the Raiders should at least give the 27-year-old a look.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRaiders should fire Pete Carroll
We can go on and on about the things Carroll has botched in his first year as head coach, but you get the idea.
This hiring has completely blown up in the Raiders' face.
We would hope this is not what the Raiders signed up for or else Carroll isn't the only one who needs to go.
This situation has been botched from the jump and Las Vegas needs to wave the white flag on Carroll and start fresh once again in 2026 with a head coach who is willing to go through a legitimate rebuild.
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