Somehow, it has only been six days since offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was fired. The Las Vegas Raiders haven't even played a game under their new offensive play-caller, Greg Olson, yet it feels like so much has happened since the team made its second coordinator change of the 2025 NFL season.
Kelly was incredibly gracious and understanding after being relieved of his duties, it didn't take long for him to come under attack. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that, according to his sources, Kelly was frequently botching play calls and confusing the Raiders' offense, hanging them out to dry.
Reports also came piling in about the fact that it was minority owner Tom Brady who wanted Kelly in the first place. While these felt like a bit of damage control from Pete Carroll, the veteran head coach also vehemently denied Pelissero's report during Friday's press conference.
Raiders players reportedly echoed Tom Pelissero's Chip Kelly sentiment
Simply put, nobody knew what to make of Kelly's firing, and where exactly to place the blame. Obviously, the answer to that will be made clear by how the offense performs over the final six games of the season, but for now, the waters are murky.
However, Raiders reporter Vincent Bonsignore from the Las Vegas Review-Journal got to the bottom of some things. He spoke with several current players on the condition of anonymity, and Bonsignore explained why Carroll defended Kelly against Pelissero's report.
"Carroll may have just been protecting Kelly’s reputation. Several players, who spoke with the Review-Journal on the condition of anonymity, said there were often breakdowns in communication when trying to get the play call in, forcing Smith to figure things out in the huddle."
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Bonsignore also noted that Richie Incognito, who has been making his feelings about the Raiders known in 2025, reminded him that these coordinators are human, and mistakes are commonly made. Incognito said that Jon Gruden made frequent mistakes with Derek Carr.
Carr, however, was savvy enough to correct things on the fly, in Incognito's opinion, and Geno Smith has not showed that so far this season. Perhaps Smith will improve under Olson, or perhaps this marriage didn't work because neither party was skilled enough to make a difference.
It's nice to have a bit more intel on the situation, because a person like Pelissero is so far from the building. Bonsignore spends his days at Raiders HQ, and he spoke with several current players that indicated Kelly may have actually been at fault for the team's issues. Fans hope so, anyway.