The Las Vegas Raiders will need a new head coach this offseason. Of course, Pete Carroll's fate has not yet been decided by the contingent of Mark Davis, Tom Brady and John Spytek, at least not officially. But the writing is on the wall after a potential 2-15 record during the 2025 NFL season.
With the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Raiders should be looking to bring their quarterback of the future on board. What does a young signal-caller always need and benefit greatly from? An innovative offensive play-caller, whether it be their head coach or offensive coordinator.
Carroll is certainly not that. For that reason, fans have been fixated on names like Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Both come from incredible coaching trees and are still quite young, so they could be in it for the long haul.
Jeremy Fowler connected weak dots between Kliff Kingsbury and Raiders
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, however, floated a different name for Las Vegas. Earlier this week, Fowler and Dan Graziano released their Week 18 buzz piece, and Fowler drew a line between Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and the Raiders, albeit a fairly weak one.
"Kingsbury's head coaching candidacy is interesting despite Washington's struggles. The Commanders rank 21st in total offense -- ahead of Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh -- despite a poor supporting cast ravaged by injury," Fowler wrote. "He's a potential fit in Tennessee, with a young quarterback in Cam Ward who fits his style of offense. Las Vegas, should that job open as many around the league expect, will take a hard look at improving its offense. Kingsbury has been selective but is also open to becoming a head coach again. So while he's not the shiniest name because of Washington's record, I could see him being in the mix again."
Again, it's not like Fowler is linking the two sides or saying that there is smoke around Kingsbury heading to Las Vegas. But he floated the idea for the simple reason that the Raiders desperately need an offensive jolt, and Kingsbury may be a guy capable of producing one.
If you take a quick look at Kingsbury's record, it is obvious why Fowler thinks this way. Most notably, Kingsbury coached Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech. However, he also helped Case Keenum break NCAA records at Houston and was Johnny Manziel's offensive coordinator in his Heisman year.
Kingsbury recruited and coached guys like Baker Mayfield and Davis Webb at Texas Tech as well, and then he took the job with the Arizona Cardinals, where he helped Kyler Murray play the best football of his NFL career. In 2023, Kingsbury was on the staff at USC, helping out Caleb Williams.
The last two seasons, Kingsbury has been in Washington, helping a rookie Jayden Daniels lead the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. This season, he's kept the Washington offense afloat despite injuries to Daniels, Terry McLaurin and Austin Ekeler, to name a few.
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On the surface, why couldn't Kingsbury be a great head coach for the Raiders, especially considering his track record of working with great quarterbacks? A rookie like Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore could certainly benefit from Kingsbury's guidance.
Well, there are two glaring reasons why Kingsbury wouldn't be a good match in Las Vegas. One is that, according to Fowler, Kingsbury is being selective about where he coaches. Given the stability of the Raiders' head coach post in recent years, Kingsbury may want to steer clear.
Second, and perhaps more important, is that Kingsbury and the franchise have already crossed paths before, and it didn't end well. Last offseason, Las Vegas hired Kingsbury to be its offensive coordinator under Antonio Pierce. It was a done deal.
However, in the middle of the night, Kingsbury jumped ship and left for the same position with the Commanders, spurning Mark Davis and the Raiders over what was called a contractual dispute. Davis could give him a second chance this offseason, but it seems more likely that he'd hold a grudge.
If some serious reports linking the two parties start to surface, then perhaps we'll have to reevaluate. But between Kingsbury's being picky and Las Vegas' likely ill feelings toward him, this floated idea may sink rather quickly.
The Raiders need a young offensive mind at the helm to help groom whichever rookie quarterback they select next April. From a pure football standpoint, Kingsbury could certainly be that guy. But a lot more factors into these potentially franchise-altering decisions.