Raiders to reset again? A look ahead at NFL's looming coaching changes for non-playoff teams

by
News PRO
2026-01-04

Copied!

With one weekend of games left, the focus shifts not only to the playoffs but also to those who didn’t qualify. An offseason of change for some, either wholesale or otherwise, while others retool with minimal alterations and focus on 2026.

With that in mind, after conversations with numerous sources involved in and around these situations, we took a comprehensive look at the 16 teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention and where they are headed:

Signs are pointing toward another reset in Las Vegas, where Pete Carroll’s status is very much in doubt. It would be, at this point, a major surprise if Carroll returns for a second season.

Owner Mark Davis has the final call. He has not communicated any decision and often takes a day or two after the season before making changes. But after a monumentally disappointing season — one in which the Raiders have fired two coordinators, lost 14 of their last 15 games and worn out the patience of team leader Maxx Crosby — it’s hard to imagine Davis staying status quo. So while Carroll, 74, has been fighting for another year, the feeling within the league and within the building is Davis will go in another direction.

And that likely is the start of a full rebuild, the right way. Las Vegas has a long way to go roster-wise and appears to recognize what is in front of them.

Minority owner Tom Brady is close to general manager John Spytek, his onetime teammate at Michigan. If Carroll is let go, they are expected to play a key role in advising Davis on the next hire.

With a loss on Sunday to the Kansas Chiefs, the Raiders would finish 2-15 and secure the No. 1 pick to target the franchise quarterback who will be the centerpiece of their rebuild.

Related Links

Everyone in Cleveland has been frustrated with the results over the past two seasons. But owner Jimmy Haslam has planned to wait for the final results – including Sunday’s game against Cincinnati – before finalizing any decisions.

It’s rare for a two-time NFL Coach of the Year to have his job in question. But that’s the reality for Kevin Stefanski, who along with GM Andrew Berry helped restore order and respectability to Cleveland. Both received contract extensions after the team’s playoff appearance in 2023; the Browns are 7-26 since.

The question ownership must ask now is, have they given people they believe in – namely a coach in Stefanski who would immediately become a candidate elsewhere – the best opportunity to succeed?

A revolving door at quarterback, including the 2022 mega-trade and contract for Deshaun Watson that Haslam acknowledged last March was “a big swing-and-miss”, have been a driving force behind Cleveland’s struggles. This was always going to be a transition year. And there’s reason for hope, with one of the NFL’s best rookie classes, a QB in Shedeur Sanders who has progressed under the tutelage of Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, and two first-round picks in 2026. Last week’s win over the division rival Steelers was encouraging for a team that hasn’t given up.

The expectation is that Browns brass will regroup on Monday before deciding how to proceed.

Gutted by injuries on offense and playing most of the season without quarterback Kyler Murray , the Cardinals have lost 13 of their past 14 games in head coach Jonathan Gannon’s third year. Gannon, though, said this past week that he felt “good” about his job status.

While owner Michael Bidwill has made no public statement, and there are no guarantees until he does, the general sense has been that Gannon will get another year — this time with a QB that he’s involved in selecting along with GM Monti Ossenfort.

Murray (and his contract) were left over from the prior regime. There’s still no easy exit — Murray is due $36.8 million fully guaranteed in 2026, with another $19.5 million set to become fully guaranteed if he’s on the roster March 15 — but a QB reset appears imminent in Arizona. The focus will likely be how, not if, Arizona moves on from Murray.

Some recent lopsided losses, of course, have not made standing pat any easier.

If Gannon stays, staff changes are possible, though it’s worth noting defensive coordinator Nick Rallis is still considered a rising star and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has managed to keep his unit middle of the pack with a collection of second- and third-stringers playing with backup QB Jacoby Brissett .