Tag: Las Vegas Raiders

Report: Steelers reunite with former defensive coach for 2025 season

The Steelers are bringing back Gerald Alexander as their defensive backs coach, with hopes to bolster their secondary for the 2025 season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ secondary struggled with both penalties and pass defense in several key moments throughout the 2024 season.

It appears the Steel City has decided to make a change, as it has been reported that the Steelers are bringing back their former assistant defensive backs coach, Gerald Alexander, for the 2025 season.

Alexander coached for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2022 to 2023, and spent the 2024 season as the Las Vegas Raiders’ safeties coach.

Alexander will serve as the defensive backs coach for the Black and Gold in 2025—returning in a larger role than previously as an assistant—showcasing his pedigree and desire to move up the coaching ladder.

Under Alexander’s assistance in 2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense led all other NFL teams with 20 interceptions. FS Minkah Fitzpatrick arguably had the best season of his career, accumulating six interceptions, including one pick-six.

Fans of the Black and Gold may view this as a minor coaching staff change, but the 2025 defense could truly reap the rewards of Alexander’s ability to maximize the potential of the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ defensive backs.

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Saints’ defensive coordinator set to join Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders

Saints set to move on from another current coach, as defensive coordinator Joe Woods is heading to the Las Vegas Raiders

The New Orleans Saints are truly clearing house from their 2024 coaching staff, as has been evident by many of their coaches leaving for new positions in recent weeks. With a new head coach coming in (Kellen Moore or otherwise), the Saints will look to build from the ground up, restarting from scratch. The most recent coach to leave is defensive coordinator Joe Woods, who is joining the Las Vegas Raiders, as reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Woods will be joining them with a lower-scale role, as he will be the defensive pass-game coordinator on Pete Carroll’s new staff. Woods had a tough year with the Saints as the DC, and when it comes down to it, it made sense for them to let him walk in favor of a new coordinator. The Saints now have all three major positions as head coach and both coordinator spots are now open, which allows them flexibility when it comes to building under whomever they wish to add as a head coach. This is somewhat the opposite of the Dennis Allen hiring, where most of the staff remained intact for a period of time.

Two Saints defensive coaches linked to a surprising new team

New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Joe Woods and secondary coach Marcus Robertson have emerged as candidates for Pete Carroll’s Las Vegas Raiders staff:

The New Orleans Saints coaching staff has been undergoing lots of change during this offseason, with the arrival of their new head coach expected to bring more turnover. We’ve seen much of the team’s offensive staff find new destinations in the last couple of weeks with an offensive-minded head coach likely on the horizon in Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore

On the other hand, the defensive staff has experienced much less turnover since season’s end with the only notable name being linebackers coach Mike Hodges leaving for a job with the Cincinnati Bengals.

However with that said, things are starting to ramp up as Super Bowl LIX inches closer and closer. A recent report from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports and 247 Sports names Saints defensive coordinator Joe Woods and secondary coach Marcus Robertson as potential candidates for Pete Carroll’s staff on the Las Vegas Raiders.

Woods spent the last two seasons with the Saints under former head coach Dennis Allen, spending most of his time in the secondary while DA called the defense. Robertson, a former safety himself, aided Woods in those responsibilities by adding a relatable voice in the defensive back room.

Pete Carroll and the Raiders front office just announced recently that Patrick Graham would remain as the team’s defensive play caller which would take Woods out of the discussion for that role. With that said though, there will most certainly be room for the team to add experience in the secondary with both Woods and Robertson in whatever role they are given. Having the opportunity to boost a middle-of-the-pack passing defense could make a huge difference for a team that is still waiting for an answer at the quarterback position.

Nothing is set in stone just yet, but things could be trending in this direction very shortly. We’ll see what changes the Saints’ next head coach has in mind for the New Orleans defense soon enough.

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Former Panthers HC Ron Rivera going back to school in new role

The winningest head coach in Panthers history is going back to school.

Former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera is about to be the big man on campus, again.

As first reported by CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones on Wednesday afternoon, Rivera is set to take a “general manager-like” position at his alma mater of the University of California. Per Jones, the 63-year-old will undertake a role similar to that of Stanford University’s Andrew Luck—helping guide the program through the new landscape of college athletics.

Rivera played at UC Berkeley from 1980 to 1983. The ex-linebacker was named the Pac-10 Football Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American in his final season for the Golden Bears.

The Seaside, Calif. native would then be selected in the second round of the 1984 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, for whom he’d spend his entire nine-year pro career with.

His first head-coaching gig came with the Panthers beginning in 2011. Rivera went on to lead Carolina to 76 regular-season wins, the most by a head coach in franchise history, along with three NFC South titles and the organization’s second-ever Super Bowl appearance.

He last coached for the Washington Commanders, whom he led from 2020 to 2023.

Before taking his new job at UC Berkeley, Rivera interviewed for three head-coaching vacancies (New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders) and a senior defensive assistant role (Jacksonville Jaguars) this offseason.

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Broncos lose a top executive to Raiders

The Broncos have lost executive Mark Thewes to the Raiders. He is the eighth staff member to leave Denver, including two who were fired.

The Las Vegas Raiders have poached a top executive from the Denver Broncos.

The Raiders hired former Broncos executive Mark Thewes as their new SVP of football operations and strategy on Tuesday. The news was first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and later confirmed by the team.

Thewes most recently served as Denver’s vice president of football operations and compliance. Before that, he served as director of team administration. Thewes originally joined the team when Josh McDaniels was hired as a head coach in 2009. He previously worked for the Cleveland Browns before joining the Broncos.

Thewes lasted in Denver well beyond the McDaniels era, a testament of the value he provided at the club.

The new Las Vegas general manager, John Spytek, worked with Thewes in Denver from 2013-2015. They will now be reunited in the Raiders’ front office.

Thewes is the eighth staff member to leave the Broncos this offseason, joining Ben Kotwica (fired), Greg Manusky (fired), Darren Mougey, Chris Banjo, Declan Doyle, John Morton and David Shaw.

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Hiring Chip Kelly as OC means former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll has changed

Hiring Chip Kelly as OC means former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll has changed

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll made a bold staffing move over the weekend by hiring Chip Kelly to be his offensive coordinator. Kelly is going to earn $6 million per season, becoming the highest-paid coordinator in NFL history, per widespread media reports. Carroll, the former Seattle Seahawks head coach, just showed a willingness to adjust his mindset.

Before hiring Kelly, Carroll was linked to hiring his former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell as his coordinator and play-caller. Many Seahawks fans expected that move to transpire. Instead, Carroll shocked the footballing world by luring Kelly, Ohio State’s National Championship winning OC and QB coach, back to the NFL.

Throughout his successful, long-lasting tenure with the Seahawks, Carroll was often accused of playing old-school football. He was a defensive-minded coach (he’s a former DC and DB coach) who was accused of neglecting the offensive side of the ball. And certainly, Carroll sometimes settled for the status quo, showing loyalty to coaches like Bevell, even when it was clear their time had run its course.

Appointing Kelly, one of the more creative offensive minds in football, over Bevell, proves Carroll is willing to approach things differently in his tenure with the Raiders. The 73-year-old Carroll is willing to evolve. That makes following his upcoming stint with the Raiders particularly exciting for Seahawks fans.

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Chip Kelly’s return to the NFL could lead Commanders to lose Marcus Mariota

Chip Kelly is back in the NFL and could target Marcus Mariota.

The Washington Commanders have a franchise quarterback. Jayden Daniels broke numerous team and NFL records, leading Washington to its best season since 1991, which included 12 wins, two postseason road wins, and an appearance in the NFC championship game.

Outside of Daniels, the Commanders had several other heroes in 2024, including backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. Like Daniels, Mariota was a former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick. But after nine NFL seasons, he signed with Washington to serve as a mentor and backup to Daniels.

The two grew close, and Daniels often praised Mariota for helping him. In the Week 17 game against Atlanta, Mariota saw something in the defense and told Daniels during a timeout. The rookie then threw the game-winning touchdown pass to clinch a playoff berth. 

Mariota appeared in three games, with two lengthy appearances. He was excellent. In a Week 18 win at Dallas, he had a clutch fourth-down run on the game-winning drive. A few plays later, Mariota found Terry McLaurin for the game-winning touchdown.

Mariota, like so many others last offseason, signed a one-year contract with the Commanders. With the way he played when he had the chance, some teams will likely want to sign him to serve as a bridge quarterback.

One of those teams could be the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders just hired Chip Kelly, Mariota’s former college coach, as their new offensive coordinator. Mariota rose to prominence with Kelly at Oregon before the coach left to become the Eagles’ head coach in 2013.

The Raiders will be signing a veteran quarterback. And whoever that quarterback is will have a chance to start. Some have linked Russell Wilson to Las Vegas due to his connection with new head coach Pete Carroll. But Mariota makes more sense because of his history with Mariota.

Mariota, 31, enjoyed his time in Washington and could return as the Commanders chase a Super Bowl next season. He embraced his role as Daniels’s backup and mentor, but he probably wants to play.

It will be interesting to see if Washington general manager Adam Peters prioritizes Mariota or looks for a cheaper option behind Daniels. Mariota’s role and leadership were an underrated part of Washington’s success in 2024.

Raiders named ‘logical’ landing spot for disgruntled former Defensive Player of the Year

Could the Raiders be a logical landing spot for disgruntled Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett?

Myles Garrett grabbed the attention of every NFL front office on Monday morning when he went public with his trade request away from the Cleveland Browns.

The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year would look good anywhere, but could a match with the silver and black be in the cards?

CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan included the Las Vegas Raiders among his five logical landing spots for Garrett.

The pairing of Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby would be the most lethal pass-rushing duo in the NFL. The Las Vegas Raiders are entering a new era after hiring Pete Carroll as head coach and have the second-highest amount of cap space ($92.5 million) in the league to reboot in a hurry.

While playing alongside Crosby would be tantalizing, the main concern for Garrett would likely be Las Vegas’ current quarterback situation, which is to say they don’t have a clear answer at the position at the moment. If they can land a respectable signal-caller, that would certainly make them an even more desirable destination. – Sullivan, CBS Sports.

Dianna Russini, an NFL insider for The Athletic, shared what one NFL GM suggested as an initial pair of potential asking prices for Garrett.

Per Russini’s source, a first-round draft selection and a second-rounder are one suggested trade compensation for Garrett’s services. A first-round pick, a pair of third-round selections and another player was also tossed around as a hypothetical trade package for Garrett from Russini’s anonymous GM.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Raiders possess the No. 2 means to get better among all NFL squads entering this offseason when combining cap space and draft assets.

Would the Raiders think about packaging their No. 6 overall selection and their pair of third-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft to swing for the fences and pair Garrett with Crosby?

Under that scenario, Las Vegas would still have its second-rounder to try to find its quarterback of the future.

Garrett’s star power makes sense just about anywhere and the tandem he and Crosby would create could morph the Raiders’ defense into the NFL’s elite overnight.

Garrett led the NFL in tackles for loss this past season with 22. The Texas A&M alum’s 14 sacks were second-most in the league in 2024.

Garrett is the Browns’ all-time sacks leader and his 102.5 sacks through his first eight NFL seasons rank fifth-most among all players since sacks became an official stat beginning in 1982.

Meanwhile, Crosby had 7.5 sacks in just 12 games during the 2024 campaign. The longtime Raiders star also added 17 tackles for loss last season.

Pete Carroll hires Chip Kelly to be OC of the Raiders

Pete Carroll hires Chip Kelly to be OC of the Raiders

Former Seattle Seahawks-turned-Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is wasting little time making waves in his return to the NFL. As a noted defensive coach, Carroll obviously needed an offensive coordinator. However, Carroll decided to make a drastically different decision when everyone assumed he might be trying to get the old Seahawks coaching staff back together. Over the weekend it was announced Carroll was hiring Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to lead the Raiders in the same capacity.

The former Pac-10 and NFC West rivals are reuniting in Sin City, as Kelly will make his return to the NFL for the first time since the 2016 season.

It has been a remarkable coaching journey for Chip over the years. Fans in the Pacific Northwest will surely always remember him for turning the Oregon Ducks into a national powerhouse, defined by his revolutionary no-huddle offense which left defenses gassed every Saturday. He made the jump into the NFL to become the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach from 2013-2015.

After leading the Eagles to the playoffs in his first season, Kelly was let go before his final year in the City of Brotherly Love concluded. From there, Kelly was hired to be the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. In his lone season by the Bay, Kelly’s Niners went 2-14. Ironically, the last game Kelly coached in the NFL was a 25-23 loss to the Seahawks under… Pete Carroll.

Kelly returned to the NFL as the head coach of UCLA where he was at from 2018-2023 before ultimately leaving the Bruins to become the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Kelly’s offense became an unstoppable force in the first ever expanded college football playoff, as the Buckeyes claimed a National Championship.

Now, he returns to the league, eager to prove (alongside Carroll) he still has plenty to bring to the table at the professional level.

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High-profile coach returns to NFL with Broncos’ division rival

The Broncos will face a Chip Kelly-coached offense when they play against the Raiders in 2025.

Chip Kelly is returning to the NFL.

The offensive guru has joined the Las Vegas Raiders as their new offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports (via Raiders Wire). Kelly is set to earn an average of $6 million per year in Las Vegas, according to The MMQB’s Albert Breer, making him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL.

Kelly, 61, has an extensive background in college football. He left Oregon to become the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach in 2013. Kelly was fired after going 26-21, then he landed with the San Francisco 49ers. After going 2-14 in San Francisco, Kelly was fired again and returned to the NCAA level.

Kelly served as UCLA’s head coach from 2018-2023, going 35-34. He then served as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2024, helping the Buckeyes win a College Football Playoff National Championship.

The Denver Broncos faced the Eagles once when Kelly was their head coach, with the Broncos winning that game 52-20 in 2013. He will now coach a Raiders offense that is set to face Denver twice each season.

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