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The Las Vegas Raiders are entering the offseason with plenty of decisions to make. Chief among them is figuring out who will be the team’s next head coach.
Holding the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Las Vegas will be an intriguing landing spot for whoever gets the job. The coach must be prepared to work in tandem with whoever the Raiders select with their top pick, via Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
“The Raiders have a big quarterback decision coming with the No. 1 pick, with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore (if he declares) in the equation,” Breer said. “I’d expect their coaching hire will reflect that. I don’t think it has to be a coach with an offensive background. But if it’s not, whomever the coach is will have to have a plan for an offensive coordinator, and then replacing that offensive coordinator if the team has success and he’s eventually hired away.”
The Raiders turned to veterans Pete Carroll and Geno Smith at head coach and quarterback in 2025. That plan failed miserably, as evident by the team holding the No. 1 overall pick. Las Vegas is looking for a more consistent duo and a tandem they can build around.
Whether Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore, the quarterback selected at No. 1 will be the new face of the Raiders. Whoever is coaching him must be prepared to mold their philosophy and offense around him. Las Vegas wants their head coach and quarterback on the same page.
While that seems like a given for any successful franchise, the Raiders have been lacking in that department for years. If the land the right head coach and quarterback though, Las Vegas’ arrow would be pointing up.
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