Over the past few days, the Las Vegas Raiders have seen a couple of head coaching candidates taken off the market. And, we could be pretty close to hearing about an official hiring since things are moving quicker around the league this week.
With the Chicago Bears hiring Ben Johnson and New York Jets bringing in Aaron Glenn, the Raiders are left without two top candidates in this year's cycle. However, there are still some very strong names available.
In his most recent column, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer answered a question in regards to why one particular coordinator hasn't received head coaching buzz. Breer tossed the Raiders and minority owner Tom Brady into the conversation as a legitimate possibility for this specific name.
"I wouldn’t be surprised if the Raiders, with new GM John Spytek climbing aboard, take a look at [Jesse] Minter now. And I do think Minter has a future as a head coach," Breer wrote.
" ... you can keep an eye on Vegas with him," he ended.
Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter could be a head coach option for the Raiders
For those who aren't familiar, Jesse Minter just ended his first season with the Chargers as their defensive coordinator. Because of the Chiefs' success and the Bo Nix story also within the division this year, Minter hasn't gotten a lot of buzz.
Of course, it's Jim Harbaugh's first year as head coach as well, so he'll take up most of the headlines when it comes to coaching.
But, Minter quietly led the Chargers to the NFL's top scoring defense, allowing just 17.7 points per game in 2024.
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Prior to joining Harbaugh's staff in L.A., he held the same position at Michigan, also under Harbaugh of course. With the Wolverines, he helped lead Michigan to a fierce and dominant defense during his couple of years there.
Many fans might want an offensive mind as the Raiders' next head coach, and understandably so. However, the Raiders don't have a current path to a franchise quarterback. Therefore, maybe establishing their defensive identity and an overall culture is the way to go this offseason.
From there, hiring the right offensive coordinator and potentially finding a long-term option at quarterback in 2026 could be the move.
Who knows, maybe Las Vegas drafts a quarterback this year and gets lucky with the way he pans out. Whether that's in the first round or later on, we'll have to find out.
But, the fact of the matter is, Minter could be a strong presence as head coach and one to build the defense into something Maxx Crosby would be proud to be a part of.