With the recent firings of Tom Telesco and Antonio Pierce last week, the Las Vegas Raiders now have job openings for both general manager and head coach for the second year in a row, and the third time since 2022.
What makes this situation different is the involvement of minority owner Tom Brady and how much influence he may have on owner Mark Davis when it comes to hiring a new GM and coach for the team.
So now, the speculation about who will take over as head coach has begun. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn have already been linked to the position.
Other names being mentioned include Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh.
There are also older names being brought up, like Pete Carroll and Jon Gruden, who was the Raiders’ head coach from 2018-2021 before he resigned following the release of emails containing offensive language.
As for the general manager position, there hasn’t been much information yet on potential candidates.
The list of candidates will likely grow, but no matter who is chosen by Davis (and possibly Brady) to be the team’s fifth general manager (following Mike Mayock, Dave Ziegler, Champ Kelly, and Telesco) and fifth head coach (following Gruden, Rich Bisaccia, Josh McDaniels, and Pierce) since the team moved to Las Vegas in 2020, they will face a mix of challenges and opportunities.
Here are some important points for the 2025 NFL draft:
- Early mock drafts: Reid | Yates | Miller
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- Big questions | QB Board | Positional rankings
- Pick order | Scouting evaluations | More
On the positive side, the Raiders hold the sixth overall draft pick and have an extra third-round pick from the trade that sent Davante Adams to the Jets, giving the new GM eight picks to build the team.
Last year, Telesco made smart choices with the first three picks, including tight end Brock Bowers, who became just the fourth rookie tight end to be named first-team All-Pro, as well as two starters on the offensive line, left guard/center Jackson Powers-Johnson and right tackle DJ Glaze.
The Raiders also have $107.3 million in salary cap space, the second most in the NFL, according to OverTheCap.com. Another selling point for attracting a GM and coach, along with free agents, is that Nevada has no state income tax.
Having only moved to Nevada five years ago, the Raiders also have one of the best NFL facilities, with Allegiant Stadium, which Bill Belichick once called the “Taj Mahal” of NFL stadiums. It has all the luxury features one would expect from Las Vegas.
When it comes to the team’s roster, the Raiders have solid foundation players like Bowers, who set the NFL record for most receptions by a rookie in a season with 112 catches, and Maxx Crosby, a four-time Pro Bowl defensive end.
Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins will return from a foot injury, and receiver Jakobi Meyers recently had the first 1,000-yard receiving season of his six-year career.
So, the roster isn’t lacking in talent.
However, a new coach may be facing a major rebuilding job in the AFC West, which has strong coach-quarterback pairs like Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs, Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Sean Payton and Bo Nix with the Denver Broncos.
While second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell showed that he could step in as a capable starter, an upgrade at quarterback is still needed.
It’s worth remembering that Derek Carr was the Raiders’ undisputed starting quarterback from 2014 until he was benched with two games remaining in the 2022 season. Since then, Jarrett Stidham, Jimmy Garoppolo, O’Connell, Brian Hoyer, Gardner Minshew, and Desmond Ridder have all started at quarterback.
The team was already thin at the start of the season. According to the Raiders, 31.8% of their Week 1 starters spent time on injured reserve, which tied for the highest in the league.
As a result, 37.6% of the team’s snaps were played by players in their first or second year, the third-highest in the NFL. The team also had an average age of 25 years and 344 days, making it the second-youngest roster in the league.
Still, the Raiders finished with a disappointing 4-13 record, and with many free agents expected to leave, there are more questions than answers, particularly on defense.
Several key players are set to become free agents, including edge rushers Malcolm Koonce (who suffered a torn ACL just before the season opener) and K’Lavon Chaisson, defensive tackles Adam Butler and John Jenkins, linebackers Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo, slot cornerback Nate Hobbs, and safeties Marcus Epps and Tre’von Moehrig.
Additionally, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s contract, which had the defense ranked No. 10 in total defense going into the last game, also expired.
So, while the Raiders have some talent, the task of rebuilding the team remains a big challenge.
