After Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, marked by another lame offensive showing, someone was going to be fired from the Las Vegas Raiders' coaching staff. Alas, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly did not survive the night.
A carefully-worded statement from head coach Pete Carroll confirmed the move.
"I spoke with Chip Kelly earlier this evening and informed him of his release as offensive coordinator of the Raiders. I would like to thank Chip for his service and wish him all the best in the future," Carroll wrote.
For the rest of the season, someone will serve as the Raiders' interim offensive coordinator. The most likely option is quarterbacks coach Greg Olson, with senior offensive assistant Joe Philbin and wide receivers coach Chris Beatty likely to be next on the list.
If Carroll remains as the head coach in 2026, he simply has to overhaul his offensive staff and find a long-term offensive coordinator. Monday's firing of senior offensive assistant Bob Bicknell says that perhaps he will. If he refuses to, however, then the Raiders need to reconsider Carroll's future.
Who the head coach is will be the driver of the eventual offensive coordinator hire, of course, but here are five candidates to replace Kelly as the Raiders' play-caller based on how things look right now.
5 candidates to replace Chip Kelly as Raiders' offensive coordinator in 2026
5. Sanjay Lal (LA Chargers WR coach)
Lal is in his second season on Jim Harbaugh's staff in Los Angeles, but his candidacy in Las Vegas is rooted in where he was in three of the previous four seasons. Carroll hired Lal as a senior offensive assistant for the Seahawks in 2020.
After a year away with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he was brought back to Seattle by Carroll as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. Lal's first of two seasons in the latter role, 2022, coincided (for whatever it's worth) with the best season of Geno Smith's career.
Of course, Lal is only a candidate if Carroll remains in Las Vegas. But on the idea that happens, as awful as that would be based on what has happened this season, the coordinator job won't be all that appealing. So, Carroll will likely have to hire someone he knows well and can convince to take the gig.
4. Ronald Curry (Buffalo Bills QB coach)
Curry is in his second year on the Bills' staff. However, there is a chance that big changes are made after the season in Buffalo, especially if offensive coordinator Joe Brady lands a head coaching gig, so Curry will likely find himself looking for a job as well.
Prior to landing in Buffalo, Curry was on the New Orleans Saints' coaching staff from 2016-2023, serving first as an offensive assistant before becoming a wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach, and finally, both a quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.
Curry may be a familiar name to a section of Raider Nation. He was a seventh-round pick in 2002 by the Silver and Black, making the transition from college quarterback to NFL wide receiver, playing for seven seasons in Oakland.
Regardless of who the Raiders' head coach is, and if he is available, of course, Curry may end up as a top candidate to replace Kelly in 2026. No offense to him, but that may say it all about the appeal of the offensive coordinator job right now.
3. Brian Daboll (Former NY Giants HC)
This list is not complete without Daboll, who was recently fired as the New York Giants' head coach. He will be a top candidate for any offensive coordinator opening after the season, and he may be on the radar for some head coaching openings if he wants to entertain them, in the NFL or college.
Daboll became a prominent name in coaching circles when he served as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Alabama, then as the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator, where he helped develop Josh Allen. Whoever the Raiders' head coach is should want him as their play-caller.
Of course, the big question is where the Raiders will rank compared to Daboll's other options. It's fair to say he'll have some better situations to consider for an offensive coordinator post, where there's a capable veteran quarterback or a promising young signal caller already in place.
He may also have some character concerns, or at the very least, his coaching style may starkly contrast with Pete Carroll. That said, the chance to hand-pick a young quarterback in the 2026 draft could tip the scales toward Las Vegas for Daboll, who is likely the hottest name on this list.
2. Nate Scheelhaase (LA Rams passing game coordinator)
The 35-year-old Scheelhaase is in his second season on Sean McVay's Rams staff. After just one year, he was promoted from offensive assistant and passing game specialist to passing game coordinator.
Before that, Scheelhaase, who played quarterback at the University of Illinois and got his start in coaching there, spent six seasons on Matt Campbell's staff at Iowa State. Over that time, he got promoted every year until he landed the offensive coordinator gig there in 2023.
That season, with Scheelhaase running things, the Cyclones had a top-50 passing offense in FBS, along with a top-10 offense in red zone scoring rate. Now he's working under McVay, one of the top offensive minds in the game at the NFL level.
Scheelhaase may also have other options to become an offensive coordinator somewhere in 2026, and where the Raiders would stand among those options is the obvious question. But he should he highly sought after for the job in Las Vegas.
1. Hank Fraley (Detroit Lions OL coach/run game coordinator)
Fraley seemed likely to follow Ben Johnson wherever he took a head coaching job, but he ultimately stayed with the Lions with the addition of run game coordinator to his duties as the offensive line coach this season.
Fraley had two interviews for the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator post after last season, and it's fair to assume he'll be coveted on the hiring circuit again after this year. Of course, Dan Campbell may just promote him to be the Lions' offensive coordinator, given their struggles.
Beyond any play-calling acumen, the Raiders need an offensive coordinator who knows how to coach and build a capable offensive line and run game. Fraley may be most comfortable climbing the ladder in Detroit, but the Raiders' head coach, whoever it may be, should have an interest in hiring him.