After a year away from football, Pete Carroll is back in the NFL as a head coach. The Las Vegas Raiders selected him as the replacement for Antonio Pierce, who was fired after just one season as the team’s full-time head coach (serving as the interim in 2023).
The Raiders were rumored to be heavily interested in hiring Ben Johnson, but since the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator accepted the Chicago Bears’ offer, the AFC West franchise opted for Carroll.
Hiring a Super Bowl-winning head coach is often good for a team. However, Emmanuel Acho is not fully convinced by the Raiders’ decision.
Emmanuel Acho Is Not Convinced With Raiders Hiring Pete Carroll
Acho discussed Caroll becoming the Raiders’ new head coach on “The Facility.” He mentioned how the Seattle Seahawks legend’s age is a cause of concern and how his lack of success in this decade has not been ideal for him.
“You got a bridge coach, and you’re going to have a bridge quarterback, and you expect to have a successful season? It’s bad math,” Acho said. “Pete Carroll turned [73] years old in Sept. [2024]. How long do you anticipate that he’s going to coach? Pete Carroll’s a defensive-minded head coach, at least, I would suggest that. But the Seattle Seahawks hadn’t had a top-10 defense since 2016. … So, the thing you do best, you didn’t do it best”
.@EmmanuelAcho is “torn” by the Raiders hiring Pete Carroll:
“Pete will forever ring a bell in football, but I just don’t know if this makes sense…It was a safe hire.” pic.twitter.com/akY5SG9Yhg
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) January 24, 2025
“Furthermore, Pete Carroll hadn’t won a playoff game since 2019,” Acho added. “Not to mention that Pete Carroll and his leader Russell Wilson, there was tension there. As a result, they both departed. So, while I love it because the name Pete Carroll will always and forever ring a bell in the sport of football — he’s one of the most brilliant football minds ever — I just don’t know that it makes a ton of sense.”
Getting Caroll could help the Raiders find stability around the franchise, which, at this point, is a necessity. Mark Davis, the team’s owner, is currently paying three other head coaches apart from Carroll, as Pierce, Jon Gruden, and Josh McDaniels were let go before the end of their contracts.
READ MORE: ‘Going To Be Some Fireworks’ — Raiders Signing Carroll With Multi-Year Deal Has NFL Fans Elated
Tom Brady is believed to be involved in the Raiders’ decision-making process, and if he thinks that Carroll is the right man for the job, he might truly be. Las Vegas is unlikely to contend immediately, so it might be better for the franchise to get a head coach who can develop the players on the team and put the team in a position to succeed.
The Raiders Have To Get a New Quarterback
The Raiders finished the 2024 season with a record of 4-13, and so far, Aidan O’Connell hasn’t looked like he will be the long-term solution at the quarterback position (2024 QB+ grade: 73.8, 20th in the NFL). For Carroll to succeed in a stacked conference and division, the Raiders may need to get a new quarterback.
They have the sixth overall pick in the current 2025 NFL Draft order, and the chances of them trading up in the draft for a player like Shedeur Sanders seem high. If the Raiders are unable to draft the quarterback of their choice, they could have a look at veterans like Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers. Both could succeed with the current roster and give the franchise time to find their future quarterback.
The Raiders likely cannot compete without a good quarterback in a division that includes Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix. As a result, Brady and the rest of the front office must make a push to get a new quarterback this offseason.
Las Vegas has a generational talent on offense in Brock Bowers and other good players like Maxx Crosby, Jakobi Meyers, and Robert Spillane to build around. Carroll could bring the best of the current group of players, but having a solid quarterback in place could serve to improve the team’s morale.