NFL Insider Blasts Raiders for 'S--t Roster' Pete Carroll, Antonio Pierce Had During HC Stints

Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll were both dumped after only having one full season as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. They may have been working with one hand tied behind their back, though.

The Athletic's Zak Keefer did a deep dive on Jon Gruden's second tenure with the Raiders. As part of that reporting, Keefer spoke to a source who believes owner Mark Davis ultimately hamstrung his coaches.

"Antonio was given a s--t roster. Pete was given a s--t roster," they said. "The underlying issue is that Mark has never really respected the GM position. He let Gruden pick (Mike) Mayock. Then he let Josh McDaniels pick his best friend as GM, Dave Ziegler. Now he lets Tom Brady do the same thing with (John) Spytek."

Pierce, who went 5-4 as the interim coach in 2023, proved to be a poor fit as the lead voice on the sideline when given the full-time role. Carroll was supposed to be a tone-setter in terms of the internal culture and on-field performance, andhe failed in both regards.

With each coach, moving on was an understandable call.

Klint Kubiak should at least have a stronger foundation with the roster in his first season. The Raiders spent big in free agency and are expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Las Vegas is unlikely to be a playoff contender in 2026, but there should be signs of a general plan that's being put into practice.

Of course, Davis is still running the show. The extent of Brady's influence on football-related matters is unclear as well, and that's going to remain a major question.

Kubiak could prove to be another coach who's undermined by systemic issues in Sin City.