Since 2016, the Raiders have only made the playoffs twice. So when Tom Brady became the their minority owner in October 2024, many expected the GOAT to bring back glory days in Vegas … or at the very least a semblance of consistency. But as it turned out, the Raiders went 3-14 under Brady’s first season and both his picks, Geno Smith and Pete Carroll flopped horribly.
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While a case can be made for the QB citing the league-worst O-line Raiders possess, but Carroll was so inept that he was fired after the regular season. And that’s where the issue begins for Raiders fans.
Since 2021, the Raiders have cycled through six head coaches, firing Jon Gruden, Josh McDaniels, Antonio Pierce, and most recently Carroll. That instability has now reached a financial breaking point as heading into next season, Las Vegas will be paying roughly $50 million to coaches who are no longer employed by the team.
That’s why ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky didn’t hold back when discussing the Raiders’ direction for next season, especially with them being the No.1 pick holders. “The Raiders have to ask themselves, do they want to be serious?” Orlovsky said. “They’ll be paying fired coaches $50 million next year. This will be their sixth head coach since 2021. It’s preposterous.”
While the former NFL QB’s criticism circled mainly about the money, what also irked Dan was the team’s zero efforts towards building an identity. For him, the Raiders have drifted from being a proud, well-run franchise into something far less respected. “The Raiders, who have this long storied history, have become in many ways a laughingstock,” he said.
That label stings even more considering the organizational power now in place. Tom Brady has a voice. His Michigan teammate and General manager John Spytek leads football operations in close collaboration with him. And yet, the same mistakes keep repeating — quick fixes, big names, and no sustainable foundation.
The analyst went even further, questioning whether the franchise is even building in the right order. “Before we get into the conversation of who should be the number one pick, you’re obviously hiring a head coach,” he said. “But how do they get a competent roster of talent?”
In Orlovsky’s view, Tom Brady and the Raiders already have one cornerstone worth building around: Brock Bowers. Everyone else, including Ashton Jeanty, should be open for evaluation, including painful decisions.
“They should trade Max Crosby and get as much value as they can for him right now,” Orlovsky added, emphasizing the need for a true reset rather than emotional attachments.
“They’ve got to figure out a way to truly start to build an actual well-run organization rather than just this revolving door of names that they think or hope may work out,” he concluded.
“The Raiders have to ask themselves do they want to be serious.”
—Dan Orlovsky on the Raiders firing Pete Carroll pic.twitter.com/sXao5rYXQJ
— ESPN (@espn) January 8, 2026
Does Orlovsky’s criticism make sense? Given the results, it’s hard to argue otherwise. Moreover, Tom Brady’s presence has raised expectations, but expectations without execution mean very little.
Still, with a shot at drafting Fernando Mendoza and the hope that they pair him up with Bowers, Crosby, and Jeanty, Raiders faithful do have a lot to look forward to, next season. But before that, TB12 needs to hire a coach, and a good coach, because after the Pete Carroll failure, he cannot get things wrong again.
