The Las Vegas Raiders' early interview list for their head coaching opening features some obvious names like Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn and Todd Monken. However, one surprise name is interviewing for the job and that's former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
The Super Bowl champion was pushed out of Seattle last year but he's hoping to get another chance to coach despite being 73 years old. At first, it would've been fair to assume that this was just a due diligence interview.
Carroll may be a Hall of Famer one day but the modern NFL seemed to pass him by in his later years with the Seahawks. That said, he knows how to build a winner. He never won fewer than seven games in 14 years in Seattle and only had a losing record three times and one of those times, the team still made the playoffs as a wild card.
Carroll is obviously a very good coach but why would the Raiders hitch their wagon to a 73-year-old? According to Vincent Bonsignore, Carroll is very much a realistic candidate for Las Vegas.
One thousand percent https://t.co/1fBZB1Qme6
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) January 10, 2025
I'm not going to pretend to fully understand Tom Brady's plan for the Raiders yet. Carroll seems like an odd pick. He really struggles on the offensive side of the ball and his defensive scheme is very antiquated.
Perhaps during his year away, he learned some things but that seems like a stretch. Plus, at best, the Raiders would only have Carroll for a few years. Why hitch your wagon to a coach who isn't going to be around in the future?
Las Vegas could certainly do worse than Carroll but they could also do better. It remains to be seen how seriously he'll consider the Raiders. They are a rebuilding roster that is filled with young players. An opening like the Chicago Bears could be more interesting as they have a very talented roster that is ready to compete next season.