Where win-loss expectations should've been for the Las Vegas Raiders ahead of the 2025 NFL season was hard to tab. But a 2-7 record into the gales of November would have surely been on the lower end, and while three losses have been blowouts, three have also been by three points or less.
What felt far more certain was head coach Pete Carroll. Aside from wins and losses, he was going to establish a level of credibility, stability and player accountability that has eluded the Raiders for a long time. Carroll was expected to set the foundation for a culture that would last beyond his tenure.
Instead, fans have seen a culture of selective accountability for players, where some are held to a high performance standard and others are insulated. The notion of winning now in a tough AFC West under the 74-year-old does not align with a roster that could not be rebuilt in one offseason.
Pete Carroll's tenuous job security with Raiders is starting to get noticed
The idea of Carroll being one-and-done as the Raiders' head coach suddenly does not seem outlandish. If it did happen, it would surely be framed as a "mutual parting of ways" as opposed to an outright firing.
Carroll, for all that he has accomplished in the NFL, would deserve to depart with his dignity intact and an acknowledgement that things just didn't work out in Las Vegas, as they haven't for practically any Raiders head coach over the last two decades.
In the wake of the New York Giants making Brian Daboll the second head coach fired during this season, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports named and ranked five under-the-radar big-name head coaches who could be fired at the end of the season.
Carroll landed at No. 1 on the list.
"Las Vegas thought it was buying long-awaited stability when it poached Carroll from quasi-retirement this offseason, pairing the former Super Bowl champion with fellow big names in minority owner Tom Brady and ex-Seattle Seahawks breakout Geno Smith. Instead, Carroll's short-sighted approach has left the Raiders looking like his age (74)," Benjamin wrote. "He didn't necessarily inherit a world-beating lineup, but his commitment to aging familiar faces alongside maligned coordinator Chip Kelly could convince Brady, principal owner Mark Davis and Co. to make a quick pivot to longer-term leadership. Remember, current Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson was reportedly the apple of Brady's eye last offseason; don't be stunned if another search for the "next big thing" comes soon."
RELATED: Raiders just had an obvious Chip Kelly replacement become available
Benjamin added a "Hot Seat Truth" meter to grade the likelihood each coach on his list gets fired, on a scale of one to three flame emojis. Carroll registered a "Scalding Hot" three flame emojis, as would be expected to accompany his No. 1 ranking.
As Benjamin hinted, it's clear that Carroll was not near the top of the initial list of Raiders head coaching candidates, as minority owner Tom Brady took a lead role in that hiring effort and coveted Ben Johnson.
So, if this season stays on its current track, the unignorable and growing heat on Carroll's seat could eventually become a move to part ways after the season, and a new head coach would be in line for the Silver and Black in 2026.
Carroll, shockingly, was asked about his job security during his Thursday media availability. While the veteran head coach brushed off these notions, it's hard to imagine that he's not feeling the pressure more with each passing week, especially if he is now being asked about such things.
"No, I don't think like that. I really don't. I can't go there," Carroll said. "It's been 20-something years just in these last two opportunities head coaching that it hasn't been in my mind at all. So, I'm not going to start now."
However, before these last two opportunities, Carroll had a quick three-year stint with the New England Patriots, and he was fired after one year as the New York Jets' head coach. It would be brutal to see his career bookended by one-and-dones, but he has the power to change that fate over the next nine games.