Will Pete Carroll Return to Raiders? NFL Insiders' Thoughts on Job Security Revealed

As one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL this season, the Las Vegas Raiders might start their offseason once again looking for a new head coach.

Per The Athletic's Dianna Russini, people around the NFL, including some within the Raiders organization, have been wondering if Pete Carroll "will survive this season" with five games remaining.

When the Raiders hired Carroll in January, the idea was to find stability at the head coaching position to give the organization, under a new ownership structure, time to build up the roster talent.

It seemed like a good idea in theory because Carroll, despite some cracks in the foundation at the end of his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, had a history of keeping things on track to avoid being an embarrassment.

In 18 seasons as an NFL head coach entering 2025, Carroll's teams never won fewer than six games. He had 14 winning seasons and made 12 playoff appearances during that span.

Instead, the Raiders look messier now than they did in the years with Pierce or Josh McDaniels. The vibes don't seem nearly as bad as they did under McDaniels, whose firing in October 2023 seemed to elicit celebrations from players on the team.

They enter Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos with a 2-10 record, the fourth-worst mark in the NFL. They have already been eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth consecutive year.

Some of the issues with the Raiders right now were already present before Carroll was hired or were decisions he may not have had full control over.

Their top two receivers last season after trading Davante Adams were Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker. They didn't add anyone to that group in free agency. Second-round draft pick Jack Bech has just 10 catches for 114 yards in 12 games.

Rather than prioritize the offensive line, the Raiders' solution to fix their running game was drafting Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick. Geno Smith has been a mess in part because of the protection issues. His 14 interceptions are tied with Tua Tagovailoa for most in the NFL. He has been sacked 46 times, second-most in the league after Cam Ward (48).

Russini noted the hiring of Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator was one Tom Brady pushed for. Kelly, who was made the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL by the Raiders, was fired on Nov. 24.

If Carroll does get fired, he will be the fourth consecutive Raiders head coach to last fewer than two seasons. Since 2014, Jack Del Rio and Jon Gruden are the only coaches who have made it through at least three full seasons with the organization.