If the next eight games of the 2025 NFL season are anything like the first nine, then the Las Vegas Raiders will need a new offensive coordinator. Chip Kelly came in this offseason with a big paycheck and high expectations, but the offense has been a complete letdown.
Granted, he hasn't been dealt the best hand, as injuries have piled up on that side of the ball, and veteran quarterback Geno Smith has been a disaster as well. But when push comes to shove, Raider Nation knows that Pete Carroll will choose Smith if the struggles continue.
Although not putting the cart before the horse, scanning for great offensive play-callers is always a worthwhile task. Earlier this week, the New York Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll, who seemed like a great potential replacement for Kelly.
But the latest report indicates that the Raiders should steer clear.
Raiders should stay away from Brian Daboll if they get rid of Chip Kelly
On Thursday, ESPN's Jordan Raanan wrote an expose about Daboll's fall from grace in New York. While fans saw plenty of his shortcomings on the field and heard others through the media, Daboll did some damning things that should make Las Vegas stop in its tracks if they were ever considering him in the first place.
"It wasn't long ago that Daboll was being praised for the same emotion that proved to be his downfall. ... That same fire and emotion would become problematic as things went south. There was the time when he flipped a tablet at quarterback Daniel Jones. There was the sideline berating of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale that extended in and out of the locker room at halftime of a 2023 loss to the Dallas Cowboys," Raanan wrote. "The constant explosions even led to (general manager Joe) Schoen listening in on the headsets during games to make sure Daboll was communicating effectively with his coaches. Heck, Daboll was even caught on camera giving special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey a death stare during a preseason game early in his tenure."
Obviously, there is a place to be intense and hold people accountable in professional football. But these go far beyond the scope of how an NFL coach should be treating their players or their colleagues. Raanan went on with more examples.
"This season alone, there were the weekly sideline tirades, a hate-challenge following a tush push non-fumble earlier this month and illegally running into the blue medical tent while (quarterback Jaxson) Dart was being examined for a concussion against the Philadelphia Eagles. That embarrassment cost Daboll $100,000 and the team $250,000," Raanan wrote. "(Owner John) Mara had to release a statement condemning Daboll's actions following the Giants' biggest win since Daboll's first season. One player recently told ESPN of Daboll exploding and threatening to take away playcalling from assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka after tight end Theo Johnson dropped a crucial third-down pass downfield against the Eagles."
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Daboll seemingly made a habit of finger-pointing and losing his cool, neither of which is a good quality or mark of a great leader. Just because someone knows the offensive side of the ball extremely well does not mean that they would be a great fit in Las Vegas.
Considering the fact that Carroll seems likely to stick around for the Silver and Black next year, his and Daboll's approaches to coaching would be like oil and water. Carroll and Kelly seemingly aren't on the same page about many things, but Kelly, on the surface at least, seems far less volatile.
Ideally, Kelly figures out a way to turn things around for the Raiders in 2025, and the organization finally finds some consistency. However, it is more likely that someone will have to be scapegoated for the team's lack of success this season, and all signs point to that being Kelly.
If Las Vegas ends up beginning its search for the next play-caller as early as this offseason, Daboll is clearly not a viable option to be considered. After all, a tiger does not change its stripes.