NFL Rumors on Kevin Stefanski, Raiders' HC Job Amid Search to Replace Pete Carroll

Former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is among the candidates the Las Vegas Raiders will interview Thursday as part of their coaching search, according to The MMQB's Albert Breer.

The Raiders will also speak with Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph before interviewing Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak on Friday, per Breer.

Las Vegas tied for the NFL's worst record (3-14), and it finished the year by alienating its most notable player, defensive end Maxx Crosby. Not surprisingly, head coach Pete Carroll was given the boot.

The situation was somehow even worse than people thought as ESPN's Kalyn Kahler and Ryan McFadden provided insight into "another failed year than continued dysfunction symptomatic of an impatient owner, a misaligned front office and coaching staff, and players who lost respect for their coaches."

One agent who represents a Raiders player questioned the appeal of coaching the team.

"Who would want the Raiders job?" they said to Kahler and McFadden. "The coach who takes the Raiders job is the coach who takes any job. They know: 'As soon as we have a string of losses — which we will likely have — they will be calling for my head and the owner is going to listen.'"

The Raiders still maintain some mystique, and having the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft is a massive asset for the future. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza went to Vegas in Bleacher Report's newest mock.

Fernando Mendoza Heisman Reel

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The likelihood of the team taking a QB seemingly telegraphs the hiring of an offensive-minded coach. Stefanski, Nagy and Kubiak all fit that description.

Stefanski is arguably the strongest of the group. He's a two-time Coach of the Year whose two playoff trips are more than any Browns coach since Marty Schottenheimer. For reference, Schottenheimer last worked in Cleveland in 1988.

An offensive coach isn't a prerequisite for developing a young quarterback, though. Jayden Daniels (Dan Quinn), C.J. Stroud (DeMeco Ryans) and Drake Maye (Mike Vrabel) all have coaches with defensive profiles.

Depending on how he interviews, Joseph could emerge as the best fit for Las Vegas.