The Las Vegas Raiders are undergoing a franchise overhaul in 2025 after replacing their general manager and head coach with John Spytek and Pete Carroll, and the organization likely isn’t done yet making big offseason moves.
Carroll returns to the NFL after a 14-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks and will be tasked with turning around a Raiders franchise that went 4-13 last season and has only made one trip to the playoffs in the last eight years.
One of his first orders of business will be to hire an offensive coordinator, and Carroll is reportedly eyeing a familiar face in former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell. The 73-year-old coach could even get the whole band back together and reunite with quarterback Russell Wilson, whose future with the Pittsburgh Steelers remains murky.
Carroll responded to growing rumors surrounding a potential reunion with Wilson in Las Vegas during an appearance on the What The Football podcast with Suzy Shuster and Amy Trask this week.
“Right now, it’s so early and we’re just in the midst of trying to find the puzzle pieces, not even putting them together yet so I really can't even say,” Carroll said. “Free agency hasn't come yet, that’s the first competitive opportunity that will occur. And then the draft is coming and we’ll have that opportunity to do things.
“I can’t tell you right now. I mean, I could guess, but it would just be a guess.”
Carroll added that he would consider “every option” as a possibility this offseason.
Wilson helped lead the Seahawks to eight playoff appearances and one Super Bowl win in 2013 and produced the best seasons of his NFL career under Carroll. Making matters more interesting is the fact that Wilson reportedly wanted to join the Raiders last offseason prior to signing with the Steelers.
It’s safe to say Wilson is now several years removed from his prime, but he arguably revitalized his career under Mike Tomlin and could still serve as a veteran bridge quarterback as the Raiders look for a long-term solution at the position. The 36-year-old could also prove to be a valuable mentor assuming the Raiders select a young quarterback with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL draft—but given Carroll’s latest comments, that’s all just speculation for now.
