The Las Vegas Raiders hired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to lead a revamped offense this season, but the experiment collapsed in just 11 games. The team fired Kelly after their ninth loss this season. But soon enough, reports flooded in claiming that the firing was a result of Kelly and head coach Pete Carroll clashing constantly. Yet recently, when asked about those rumors, Carroll didn’t hesitate to clear the air.

“Chip’s a tremendous football coach, and we communicated well,” Pete Carroll told reporters on Wednesday. “We just needed to make a change.”

So, while fans had been wondering who was actually calling the shots in Las Vegas, Pete Carroll insisted he did not dictate Kelly’s system. After the firing, Carroll had even thanked Kelly for his service. But if that’s true, why did the Raiders’ offense look so disjointed this season? 

For weeks, many assumed that Kelly’s experience, his title, and his massive salary meant he ran the Raiders’ offense. But despite Carroll’s defensive background, multiple sources claimed he maintained heavy influence over the Raiders’ offense. That possibility alone raises another question: Wouldn’t top offensive minds hesitate to join the Raiders if the head coach refuses to loosen the reins? Most definitely, but the state of the Raiders’ offense would also make any coach hesitate. 

The Raiders simply didn’t produce under Kelly’s system this season. They ranked 30th in scoring and averaged a weak 4.51 yards per play. They also lost five straight games and failed to reach 20 points in their final three outings under Kelly. So, while talking on The Rich Eisen Show, NFL insider Tom Pelissero even suggested that Kelly’s operation was dysfunctional. 

“There are all kinds of different stories about just the dysfunction of the Raiders offense,” Pelissero said. “There were times I was told that Chip Kelly was repeatedly botching the play calls. So, Geno Smith was going to the line of scrimmage and saying, ‘This doesn’t look right.’”

So, Kelly left Raiders’ quarterback Geno Smith openly questioning whether the play makes sense. That’s how bad things got in Las Vegas. But Kelly wasn’t the only coach Pete Carroll dismissed this season. Last month, he also fired special teams coordinator Tom McMahon. That move led to further scrutiny about whether Kelly deserved all the blame. 

Ian Rapoport then recently revealed on The NFL Insiders that many around the league believe that the Raiders’ offense has looked more like Pete Carroll’s old Seattle Seahawks playbook than Kelly’s.

“Talking to people who know this offense very well, people who’ve studied this offense, played against it, they do not believe it was Chip Kelly’s offense,” Rapoport reported. “They believe it was Pete Carroll’s offense, specifically the Pete Carroll offense from Seattle 2023. It sounds to me like if Chip Kelly had to do this again, he would not have taken this job.”

Pete Carroll, now 74, was expected to bring instant stability, but instead, Las Vegas still looks lost. Despite Kelly’s firing, things did not improve, even if Carroll claimed that the offense did look different. But interim coordinator Greg Olson oversaw a 31-14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers just recently. So what exactly is going wrong in Las Vegas? Carroll seems to think he knows.

Pete Carroll hints at a lack of talent in the Raiders’ locker room

During a December 1 press conference, a reporter asked Pete Carroll about how the Raiders’ defensive end Maxx Crosby inspires the team. But Carroll’s response took a surprising direction as it suggested a lack of talent in the Raiders’ locker room.

“That’s the messaging that we try to send through all of our players,” said Pete Carroll. “And he’s [Maxx] a great illustration of what we’re talking about. But not everybody has the same ability as Maxx. Not everybody is as talented as him. Maxx has proven that over a long time. And so we need more players that can play close to that kind of level.”

So, Pete Carroll suggested that the Raiders simply need more players who can perform at the level that Crosby does. Was that an honest assessment, or an unnecessary shot at the roster? Either way, he doubled down on it later when asked about the Raiders’ tight end Brock Bowers.

“[Bowers and Crosby] stand out because they continue to play at a really high level,” said Pete Carroll. “Well, that’s what we’re trying to get, is more guys that can do that, play along with them.”

It doesn’t take an expert to realize the Raiders lack top-tier talent. But is it wise for the head coach to say it out loud? Under Pete Carroll, few Raiders players have actually improved this year. That raises bigger questions about Pete Carroll’s fit with this roster and whether the organization has a clear direction. As Las Vegas prepares to host the Denver Broncos next, fans are desperate for any sign of progress. But if things don’t improve soon, it’s fair to wonder whether Carroll’s return in 2026 is realistic in Las Vegas.