The circular annual journey of the NFL coaching carousel officially got underway with the firing of coach Brian Daboll of the New York Giants, and plenty of intriguing names are being thrown around. At first glance this doesn’t have much to do with the Las Vegas Raiders, but given that coach Pete Carroll is hanging on by a thread, it’s worth it to take a look at this rundown from Ted Nguyen of The Athletic and see who might be a good fit.
Kliff Kingsbury. The offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders has a great reputation as a play designer, and he’s got a lot of respect around the league. His first go-round as a head coach went south after a strong start with the Arizona Cardinals, but he still has a reputation as a quarterback whisperer, which could be important to the Raiders if they decided to draft a QB with their top-ten draft pick. As a footnote, Kingsbury is also a certified Friend of Tom, which may have some meaning if owner Mark Davis is still willing to take advice from Brady given how some of the minority owner's recommendations turned out.
Klint Kubiak. Continuing in the same vein with the “K” names, Kubiak will be the big name in this year’s hiring cycle. The Seahawks offensive coordinator has a lot of experience, and his New Orleans Saints offense got off to a hot start before injuries derailed the train. Kubiak also has quarterback Sam Darnold playing at a high level again, and while the playoff results aren’t in yet, that’s always a plus on the resume in the quarterback development department.
Todd Monken. Speaking of quarterback development, Monken is being lauded for taking quarterback Lamar Jackson’s game to the next level. Even better, he’s actually developed two different offenses for the Baltimore Ravens, one that features Jackson, while the other is built around a power running game anchored by running back Derrick Henry. That could appeal to Davis given the struggles the Raiders have had getting running back Ashton Jeanty going.
There are other names out there, of course. The college ranks are full of promising young guys who would love a shot at the Vegas job to develop their potential, but Davis is sick of picking from the coaching carousel, and he’s stated publicly that he wants results. He’s not getting them from Carroll, and right now this feels like a job that’s going to be open by the end of the season, if not sooner.