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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

Essentials Inside The Story

  • Raiders offense struggles fuel criticism of Pete Carroll’s sons
  • Brennan and Nate Carroll hold key coaching roles since February 2025
  • Fan outrage centers on nepotism and Chip Kelly’s recent firing

When does a family hire cross the line from loyalty to liability in the NFL? The Raiders offense struggles were bound to result in criticism. But for Pete Carroll, the Raiders’ offensive woes aren’t just a coaching problem. They’re becoming a family affair, and fans are calling foul.

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“COACH PETE CARROLL NEEDS TO FIRE HIS TWO SONS. Brennan is the team’s offensive line coach and Nate is the team‘s quarterbacks coach,” a recent tweet by MLFootball read. “The Raiders have the worst QB in the league this season & one of the worst o-lines/running games. 100% nepotism. This needs to change.”

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The Las Vegas Raiders hired Brennan Carroll on February 3, 2025, as the team’s Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator. He walked into the NFL with prior experience of serving as the Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach at the Washington Huskies in 2024, and previously at the Arizona Wildcats from 2021 to 2023.

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Nate Carroll, on the other hand, also joined the Raiders in February 2025 as Assistant Quarterbacks Coach/Game Management. He previously worked as Passing Game Coordinator for the Carolina Panthers in 2024 and spent 14 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks in various offensive roles.

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While the management expected the two would bring chemistry with Pete Carroll, the reality turned out to be far from satisfactory. With just two wins and nine losses, the team’s playoff prospects remain bleak. Currently, the Raiders are ranked at 29th according to the PFF offense grades.

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Just hours after the Raiders’ disappointing defeat against the Cleveland Browns, fans lashed out against the coaching team, marking the entry of the HC’s two sons as nepotism.

Nepotism calls mount over Pete Carroll as the Raiders continue to struggle for a win

The Las Vegas Raiders were predicted to make changes to the coaching team amid the consistently declining graph. While many thought this could be the end of Brennan Carroll’s short journey, his father, Pete, decided to part ways with assistant coach Chip Kelly after 11 games.

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Amid the ongoing troubles with the offensive unit, fans stepped forward to vent out their frustration amid Brennan and Nate Carroll’s performance so far.

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A fan expressed disappointment over Pete Carroll’s current performance. Claiming that the HC lost control back in 2016.

“Another reason why we let Pete go in Sea,” they wrote. “Will love and appreciate the man always, but his style of coaching and delegating reached its limit in 2016.”

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Carroll’s coaching career gained notable admiration during his time with the Seattle Seahawks. The team not only clinched their one and only Super Bowl title (2014), but also won two NFC championships.

According to one fan, the recent change in the Raiders’ coaching team was mainly because he took the blame for Brennan and Nate.

“Regular fans will never know for sure,” the comment read.  “But this could be why Chip got fired, taking the blame for Pete’s kids.”

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Kelly joined the team in the ongoing season, but his role couldn’t last long as the Raiders faced back-to-back defeats.

One fan simply applauded MLFootball’s official X handle to highlight one of the most under-discussed issues with the Raiders this year.

“Thank you for saying the silent part out loud,” the comment said.

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Brutally marking the entry of Brennan and Nate as “nepotism”, a fan made it clear that the downfall “is the result of nepotism.”

While both Brennan’s and Nate’s coaching portfolios were strong enough to generate positive results, it seems like the decision from Pete Carroll backfired.

Considering the recent decision to fire Chip Kelly, a fan had a theory of their own.

“He will make one the OC just watch,” the fan speculated.

Brennan holds past experience of serving as the offensive coordinator, and it seems to be no surprise for the fans at the possibility of taking the position after Kelly’s exit.

With these and several other comments on a similar note, the fans made it clear that they are not convinced of how Pete Carroll is handling the operations at the Raiders. As the team prepares for the upcoming clash against the Los Angeles Chargers, Greg Olson was named interim offensive coordinator; it remains to be seen who will be hired permanently.

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Akshay Kapoor

1,764 Articles

Akshay Kapoor is an NFL Writer at EssentiallySports, known for blending statistical insight with narrative depth to explore the league’s most defining storylines. With three years of experience covering American sports, his reporting connects football with the larger athletic and cultural landscape, offering readers a fresh, multidimensional perspective. Having previously covered global icons like Serena Williams and Coco Gauff, Akshay brings the same journalistic rigor and storytelling precision to the NFL. His sharp post-game analyses, trend-spotting instincts, and data-backed insights have earned recognition from prominent insiders, including Pavvy G, establishing him as a trusted voice in EssentiallySports’ football newsroom.

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Aadesh D

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