The Las Vegas Raiders' decision to hire Pete Carroll ahead of the 2025 NFL season was led by the hope that the Super Bowl-winning head coach would bring stability to the organization. The move was questionable from the start due to his age and the status of the roster, and it has backfired.
Las Vegas is 2-14 and on track for the franchise's worst record in over six decades. There has been plenty of speculation as to whether or not the front office will give Carroll a second year to right the ship.
Many believe that the Raiders will opt to hire a sixth head coach in as many seasons, but nothing is certain. As is the case every year, the list of candidates this offseason will include a mix of first-time head coaches and coordinators with previous experience looking to return to head coaching.
While many expect Las Vegas to target a young offensive mind, particularly if they land the first overall pick and are in line to select a quarterback, they could opt for a proven coach who has clearly not lost his way, like current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
The Raiders should not hesitate to target Brian Flores this offseason
Flores has previous experience as a head coach, serving as the Miami Dolphins' leader for three seasons. After the team went just 5-11 in his first year, he had a 10-6 finish in 2020, followed by a 9-8 mark in his final season.
Despite being a young first-time head coach who quickly turned things around and led them to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in nearly two decades, Flores was stunningly fired after the 2021 campaign.
His dismissal prompted him to file a lawsuit against the NFL, as well as several teams in the league, including the Dolphins, who he alleged pressured him to purposely lose games for a better draft pick, even stating that Miami's owner offered to pay him for each loss.
While many believed Flores deserved another head coaching opportunity, he settled for a role as the Pittsburgh Steelers' senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach in 2022 before being named the Vikings' defensive coordinator the following season.
He has thrived in his role in Minnesota, to say the least, improving the defense from the 28th-ranked scoring unit the year before his arrival to 13th, fifth, and 10th in his three seasons. Flores' coaching prowess was on full display during the Vikings' Christmas Day matchup with the Detroit Lions.
Despite finishing the day with just three yards of passing offense, Minnesota was able to shut down its division rival's elite offense, picking up a 23-10 victory thanks to five sacks and six forced turnovers by Flores' defense.
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The Raiders are one team that should understand Flores' decision to sue the league, as Al Davis did so multiple times during his tenure leading the franchise. Furthermore, Flores has a connection to minority owner Tom Brady, which could give the 44-year-old coach a leg up.
Of course, Flores coached the Dolphins to a victory in Brady's last regular-season game with the New England Patriots, which pushed New England out of a first-round bye and into the Wild Card Round, where they were upset by the Tennessee Titans, ending their dynasty.
Additionally, however, Flores' career began as a scouting assistant with the Patriots in 2004, while his coaching career began as a special teams assistant with the organization four years later. He stayed in New England, working his way up to linebackers coach, until being named Miami's head coach.
While many fans would prefer a head coach with an offensive background to lead Las Vegas, especially if they draft a rookie quarterback, Flores could bring Vikings quarterback coach Josh McCown to Las Vegas as his offensive coordinator.
McCown, who was a part of 12 organizations -- including making nine starts for the Raiders in 2007 -- in a playing career that lasted 18 years, is highly revered as an offensive mind, particularly for his work with quarterbacks.
If Las Vegas does land a rookie quarterback, the former NFL signal-caller could be trusted to turn the offense around, while Flores would likely do the same for the defense. Flores could also keep Patrick Graham as the team's defensive coordinator.
Flores hired Graham as his defensive coordinator in Miami ahead of his first head coaching campaign, as the two knew each other from years together in New England. Graham left for a defensive coordinator and assistant head coach gig with the New York Giants the following year, however.
A coaching staff of Flores, McCown and Graham as the big three would be fairly enticing for Las Vegas rolling into the 2026 NFL season. Plus, the last time the Raiders hired a coach named Flores to lead the franchise, things worked out pretty well.