The Las Vegas Raiders will have a new leader at the helm in 2026 after firing head coach Pete Carroll on Monday. While it ensures that the Raiders will have their sixth head coach in as many seasons, it was a move that had to be made for the betterment of the franchise's future.
Carroll, who was the oldest head coach in NFL history this season, was expected to change the culture and turn things around in Las Vegas. He did nothing of the sort, as the team finished with a brutal 3-14 record, which earned them the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Hitting on that pick will be crucial, and having the right coach in place to develop the player drafted will make the Raiders' odds of a best-case scenario even stronger. John Spytek's recent comments should inspire hope that the organization is prepared to make the move that fans are waiting for.
Raiders fans are hopeful that John Spytek's comments mean quarterback
Spytek will have a major opportunity to turn the Raiders' fortunes around this offseason, as the team is projected to have over $110 million in cap space and 10 draft picks, including the No. 1 overall selection, in April's Draft.
While the franchise has not selected a quarterback in the first round of the event since the last time they picked first overall, when they selected JaMarcus Russell in 2007, many expect that to change this year.
Las Vegas' general manager was asked about having the No. 1 pick, and took the chance to discuss the importance of finding the right quarterback in his end-of-the-season press conference on Monday. Raider Nation is hoping that these comments mean what they think they mean: Quarterback.
"The league is littered with, when you get the top pick right, those guys are franchise-altering players. There's probably no more important hire in an NFL organization than the head coach. They're the daily guy. They set the vision. They set the cadence. They are what touches the players every day and demand excellence from players, and the players are the ones that have to go out there and do it. And the more good players you have and the better person at the helm that you have steering that ship, my experience is the more successful you are," Spytek said. "Are there two more important hires in an organization than a quarterback and a head coach? I think we probably all would agree that those two men usually steer the ship and that's out in front of us right now."
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The Raiders' primary head coaching target last offseason was Ben Johnson. However, they were unable to land the young offensive guru due, in large part, to their lack of youth at the quarterback position.
The opportunity to draft a signal-caller first overall should be more than enough to entice any head coach to take the job. Additionally, it appears that the franchise is ready to draft a quarterback in the first round for just the sixth time in franchise history, and the fourth time since the AFL-NFL merger.
Raider Nation has longed to see a quarterback drafted on Day 1; however, the organization's history of drafting busts in the first round -- the two AFL quarterbacks did not play for the Raiders, while the three NFL quarterbacks all threw more interceptions than touchdowns -- has prevented that.
Spytek's comments show that he is aware of the importance of getting the right quarterback. They should also give the fan base the hope that the organization will do what is expected, which is to finally take a swing at fixing the most important position in sports through the draft.