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The Las Vegas Raiders are closing in on landing the top pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. Vegas took the embarrassing loss to the Giants 34-10 to position itself for No. 1 come April. But will Pete Carroll help make that pick or no?
Carroll’s future remains in flux. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed that the Raiders have “all options on table” for Carroll’s fate — which signals a departure could be in the works too.
Carroll got asked about his nebulous future with the Raiders after the Giants game. Instead he sidestepped the question.
“From all the guys I’ve talked to, I do feel like I have their support. What does that mean? I don’t know, but our conversations have been really good,” Carroll said via Ryan McFadden of ESPN.
But then he got asked if he’s coming back next season.
“I have no comment to make about that. We’re getting along great. We’re communicating really well,” Carroll said.
The growing consensus is that the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza will be the Raiders’ top draft target.
One recent mock draft predicts Mendoza indeed coming to the Raiders — but as the second pick. Mendoza no doubt will hand the Silver and Black a long-awaited franchise QB not seen since a young Derek Carr.
Yet the franchise still must decide what to do with Geno Smith. His reunion with Carroll became disastrous — and left the Giants game with an injury. Smith signed a two-year deal with Vegas in April with up to $85.5 million handed to him. The Raiders could opt to cut Smith in a cost saving move and turn the franchise over to a rookie like Mendoza.
But Carroll has his own future to learn about — which could mean being a one-and-done for the first time since the 1994 season with the New York Jets.
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