Colin Cowherd proposes pairing former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski with top draft prospect Fernando Mendoza for the Raiders' rebuild.
Well, the Las Vegas Raiders' Pete Carroll experiment didn't last long. The Raiders finished with a 3-14 record, will have the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and will officially have a new coach after Carroll was fired on Monday.
It was a disappointing run in Las Vegas, so it was not a surprise to see Carroll let go so quickly. Now, the search begins once again for the Raiders, and minority owner and legendary QB Tom Brady is expected to help in some capacity.
Several names are already linked to the Raiders, including Brian Flores and Brian Daboll, but another name could be intriguing: Former Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski.
Stefanski was fired by the Browns on Monday, but he is expected to be a top candidate in this cycle if he wants to coach in 2026.
With the top pick in the draft likely going to be Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza, Colin Cowherd suggested an interesting idea of pairing Mendoza and Stefanski together in Las Vegas.
"What I would do if I was the Raiders, I would hire Kevin Stefanski," Cowherd said. "I would give him Mendoza. I think Stefanski's not a yeller, he's more of a teacher... The sport's going with offensive guys. I would go with Kevin Stefanski."
John Middlekauf agreed that Stefanski would be a good hire, and although his time in Cleveland didn't go well the last two seasons, the Browns had a plethora of injuries and a depleted roster to work with.
At this rate, Mendoza seems like the obvious choice for the Raiders, unless they trade the pick away. But, the Raiders need a QB after a failed Geno Smith experiment, and Mendoza has seen his draft stock skyrocket in his only season with the Hoosiers.
Stefanski finishes with a 45-56 record in six seasons with Cleveland, but he did take the Browns to the playoff twice during his tenure.
Stefanski is an offensive guru, and bringing him to Las Vegas with a core of young stars such as Mendoza, running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers could be a huge step in the right direction for a franchise that urgently needs a facelift.
The problem is that Stefanski is expected to be highly-coveted, so he could have his choice of teams if it comes down to it, but only time will tell if he ends up in Las Vegas.