Stability has never been a defining feature of the Las Vegas Raiders.
With the hiring of Pete Carroll and John Spytek, the Raiders are on their fifth head coach and third general manager since arriving in Las Vegas in 2020.
The hope for this latest regime is that they will be able to build a long-term roadmap of success, establishing a winning culture along the way.
While the leaders of this new era are different, some of their leading lieutenants will remain the same.
According to insiders, the Raiders are retaining both defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and special teams coordinator Tom McMahon for the 2025 season.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero broke the news on Graham on Wednesday, meaning the defensive coordinator is now on his third head coach with the Raiders.
Not leaving Las Vegas: The #Raiders have re-signed Patrick Graham as their defensive coordinator, per sources.
Graham’s contract expired and he had options, including going to Jacksonville. But Pete Carroll and Tom Brady are fans of Graham and convinced him to return. pic.twitter.com/Y7DYAO2S5a
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 30, 2025
Despite Graham interviewing with the Cincinnati Bengals for their defensive coordinator vacancy and the Jacksonville Jaguars for their head coaching job, the Raiders have ultimately brought back one of their top assistants for another year.
Graham did an admirable job with the defense last season, keeping the unit afloat despite injuries to stars Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins. Bringing him along should give the Raiders a good opportunity to retain several free agents, including leading tackler Robert Spillane.
Pelissero also broke the news on McMahon’s return to the Raiders.
The #Raiders are retaining special teams coordinator Tom McMahon, per source. Some continuity on Pete Carroll’s staff.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 29, 2025
With these moves, the Raiders are sending a clear message: despite the changes at head coach and general manager, continuity is an important factor.
Retaining Graham and McMahon allows the Raiders to keep their players on their current development curves, as well as provide some predictability on the type of player they are looking for this off-season.
It also allows Carroll and Spytek to focus their energy on finding a suitable offensive coordinator, as well as come up with a shortlist of players they want to bring in from free agency and the draft.
The Raiders have now officially built a bridge between Carroll and the current roster, which will make the transition process much smoother.
