The Las Vegas Raiders have been conducting an extensive coaching search that has led them to meet with 15 candidates over the past three weeks. Three of those prospective head coaches are already off the market, having agreed to take over the leading role with another franchise.
Speculation remains that two of those moves could have been caused by pressure from Raiders general manager John Spytek, with his interest leading other franchises to make a move so they would not lose out on a candidate.
Las Vegas has proven to be patient in this process, and while it has not tipped its hand as to which direction it is leaning, the front office could be attempting to pressure yet another franchise to make a decision.
One day after the Raiders' front office met with former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, they are set to hold a second interview with Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Now, this could mean nothing at all, or this could be Spytek attempting to limit the remaining landing spots.
Raiders meeting with Joe Brady could have deeper implications than fans realize
There will be 10 teams with new head coaches to begin the 2026 NFL season. Six of those vacancies have already been filled, with the Raiders, Bills, Arizona Cardinals, and Cleveland Browns yet to hire a new leader.
Of the remaining landing spots, only Buffalo represents a more attractive option than Las Vegas, simply due to the presence of 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Raiders are set to hold a second interview with the Bills' offensive coordinator on Sunday.
"Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady is in Las Vegas for a second head coaching interview with the Raiders, per sources."
While this could be the front office having a genuine interest in Brady, it is important to note that a different Brady -- Raiders minority owner Tom Brady -- was in Seattle calling the NFC Championship Game for Fox Sports when this news broke.
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It is hard to believe that Las Vegas would hold a legitimate interview without him present, especially after Spytek revealed that he consults with the seven-time Super Bowl champion regarding every major decision, and Brady is known to be a part of the process.
Instead, it could be the Raiders attempting to force Buffalo's hand. The last two candidates to meet with Las Vegas, Daboll and Brady, have both been linked to the Bills head coaching vacancy, as both have served as Allen's offensive coordinator and are considered frontrunners there.
The Raiders similarly met, or attempted to meet, with both Jeff Hafley and Jesse Minter before they took the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens jobs, respectively. If Buffalo were to hire either Daboll or Brady as their next head coach, it would position Las Vegas to have its choice of any of its top candidates, as neither the Arizona nor the Cleveland job is very exciting.
Of course, plenty of highly-coveted candidates remain, but the Raiders and Bills have both been linked to Davis Webb. While Las Vegas would have had an advantage in the process if the Denver Broncos advanced to the Super Bowl, their loss allows both teams to meet with Webb immediately.
If Spytek rushes Buffalo into making a decision on Brady or Daboll and the Raiders land Webb, or they buy themselves time to decide between Webb and Klint Kubiak, it would be yet another seemingly genius move from the young general manager.