Raiders Have Trend Developing that Could Hurt Pete Carroll as Much as the 8 Losses

The Raiders fell to 2-8 on Monday night and it was the latest embarrassing performance by the team in Pete Carroll’s first season as head coach.

There has been speculation for a while that offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is on the ‘hot seat’ but after Monday’s non-competitive effort at Allegiant Stadium, could Carroll be the Raiders’ next one-and-done head coach?

It’s early for that kind of talk, but there’s a dynamic playing out this year that could be to Carroll’s detriment when it comes to holding on to his job after the season.

For all the disappointments of the 2025 season, the situation that might hurt the coaching staff as much as anything else is the way they have approached John Spytek’s first draft class as GM of the Raiders.

Taking a running back with the sixth-overall pick in the draft was a bold move by Spytek. Not featuring that running back on offense is an even bolder move.

On Monday night, the Raiders called 32 pass plays before the half and only handed off to Ashton Jeanty two times.

Furthermore, the coaching staff appears to have buried the rest of Spytek’s draft at the midpoint in the season.

Second-round pick Jack Bech caught one pass on Monday night. Third-round pick Darien Porter has played well in a limited role this year but continues to find himself far behind Kyu Blu Kelly on the depth chart.

Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant were drafted at the end of third round, and both have been relegated to the sidelines while the veteran linemen on the roster have been an embarrassment.

Fourth-round pick Dont’e Thornton was handed a full-time role at wide receiver to start the season but has become an afterthought in Kelly’s offense in recent weeks.

Whether the rookies aren’t ready game situations or the coaching staff is making some kind of statement, it’s been a major disappointment to see an entire rookie class fail to meet expectations.

Of course, the other explanation is that the Raiders simply didn’t draft well.

And if that’s the case, it might take another coaching staff in the building to convince Spytek and Tom Brady that they came up short in their first draft together.

There is still seven games left in the season, but the Raiders are clearly trending in the wrong direction and without the rookies involved, it’s hard to have a lot of hope for next year.

Maybe that will change in the weeks ahead, but for now it the rookie draft class doesn’t reflect well on someone and eventually we’re going to figure out who that is.

Just a guess… but it seems like a foregone conclusion that Kelly won’t be back next year.

As for Carroll, he might be entering the uncertain territory Kelly was in a few weeks ago where no one thought he would really be fired, but the conversations are starting to happen.

x: @raidersbeat

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Raiders head coach Pete Carroll addresses the media after their loss to the Dallas Cowboys on “Monday Night Football.”