Pete Carroll FIRED as Raiders head coach with Tom Brady in Las Vegas to kickstart rebuild

Pete Carroll is one-and-done with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The legendary coach was fired on Monday, according to ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter.

Carroll, who previously won a Super Bowl in Seattle and two national titles at USC, signed a three-year deal with Las Vegas before the season, but ultimately finished the year with the worst record in the NFL at 3-14. 

‘Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals,’ team owner Mark Davis said in a statement. 

Minority owner Tom Brady was on hand at the team facility in Henderson, Nevada on Monday. As reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Brady is expected to have a bigger voice in football operations this season alongside his former Michigan teammate, current Raiders general manager John Spytek. 

Brady’s former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick isn’t considered a candidate to replace Carroll as he once did in New England back in 2000. Rather, Belichick remains committed to the University of North Carolina despite his dismal 4-8 record in his first season at the college level. 

Carroll, who previously won a Super Bowl in Seattle, signed a three-year deal with Las Vegas before the season, but ultimately finished the year with the worst record in the NFL

Tom Brady is expected to take on a bigger role with the Raiders next season in Las Vegas 

But Brady does have other Patriots connections who could surface in Las Vegas. 

As reported by Pro Football Talk’s NFL insider Mike Florio, Brady is rumored to be pushing for Flores to replace current head coach Pete Carroll with Daboll coming on for offensive coordinator is Greg Olson.

By virtue of the New York Giants’ win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the Raiders entered their season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs having already secured the first pick in April’s NFL Draft, where the team could target a quarterback such as Indiana‘s Fernando Mendoza or Oregon‘s Dante Moore.

Daboll was fired as head coach of the New York Giants earlier this season, while Flores just finished an impressive season as the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator with his contract set to expire in the offseason.

Whoever becomes the Raiders’ next head coach will likely have a rookie quarterback to work with. 

Many fans have already decided on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza after his impressive performance in a Rose Bowl win over Alabama last week.  

Mendoza holds the Leishman Trophy after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide in Pasadena

Las Vegas Raiders fan Ezra Kheel (left) of Nevada holds up a sign referencing Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy recipient

The Heisman-winning quarterback tossed only 16 passes while leading the top-ranked Hoosiers past the No. 9 Crimson Tide, 38-3, but still cemented himself as the presumptive first pick with a near-flawless performance on Thursday in Pasadena.

Included among Mendoza’s 14 completions were three sensational touchdown passes – each more impressive than the last.

‘He’s going to resurrect the Raiders franchise in Vegas,’ one confident fan wrote on X.

‘I’ve seen enough,’ another added. ‘Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders.’

Mendoza’s yardage numbers haven’t been overwhelming, and Thursday wasn’t any different. He accumulated just 193 against one of the better defenses in the country. 

But as has been the case since Mendoza transferred from Cal, he was simply too efficient, completing 87.5 percent of his passes without taking unnecessary risks with the football.

‘#1 overall pick in the upcoming draft and for good reason,’ another fan wrote online.

A Las Vegas Raiders fan looks on before a September game against the Los Angeles Chargers

And it’s not just Raiders fans who feel this way. One Dolphins supporter called for his team to move up in the draft for Mendoza, a Miami native.

‘I’m sold,’ he wrote. ‘Trade the farm to get the number one pick for Mendoza.’

Obviously, there is still a lot of time between now and the first round of the NFL Draft on April 24 in Pittsburgh. Mendoza could have as many as two more games to play this postseason, not to mention Indiana’s Pro Day and the NFL Scouting Combine, both of which could impact teams’ perceptions of the 6-foot-5, 225-pound 22-year-old. 

Plus, Oregon’s Dante Moore could have an outside chance at going to the Raiders with the first pick, especially after a strong 234-yard effort in Thursday’s Orange Bowl win over Texas Tech.

The Raiders were Carroll’s fourth NFL team.

Although his time in the NFL will be best remembered for his 14 years in Seattle, where he won a Super Bowl in 2013, he also coached the Patriots for three forgettable seasons and the New York Jets as a 43-year-old in 1994.

Now 74, it remains unclear if Carroll will seek a new coaching position or transition to another path.