If optimism is the opiate of NFL fan bases, then this latest notion that the Las Vegas Raiders are suddenly an “attractive destination” for a young head coach might be Las Vegas’ strongest controlled substance yet. Just picture this: once the Raiders inevitably secure a top-five draft pick—something they are consistently working toward—the franchise will become an appealing opportunity for a promising young head coach.
Not exactly an overwhelmingly appealing proposition, right?
On paper, sure, the ingredients look tantalizing. Two elite young offensive weapons. A likely shot at hand-picking a quarterback in April. Ownership is willing to write splashy coordinator checks. And enough cap space to build something resembling a real roster instead of a weekly art installation titled “Chaos in Motion.”
Would you take the head coaching job with the Raiders?
You could argue this roster’s flaws are, somehow, a feature rather than a bug. So many holes, so little to salvage. No cumbersome contracts. No square-peg veterans being jammed into round-hole systems. A young coach really could walk in, look around, and say, “Great, nothing here works—now I can build exactly what I want.”
But then reality taps you gently on the shoulder.
Related: The Raiders Have Lost All Accountability Too
Instability is a cornerstone in Sin City…
For every optimistic selling point, there’s the unmistakable backdrop: a franchise staring down the possibility of three head coaches in three years, an organizational culture that feels like a live reenactment of Groundhog Day, and a roster that resembles a patchwork quilt held together by Maxx Crosby’s willpower and Brock Bowers’ rookie contract.
Even the idea that Las Vegas is “appealing” hinges on perspective. Appealing in the sense that it’s a blank slate? Absolutely. Appealing in the sense that it’s stable, well-structured, and primed for a brilliant young coach to flourish? Not unless your definition of flourishing includes navigating weekly existential crises and pretending the walls aren’t on fire.
And looming over all of this is the possibility that Pete Carroll returns. Because nothing reinforces the concept of a fresh start like rolling back the clock and recommitting to a 74-year-old head coach whose scheme and staff look allergic to developing talent.
So yes, maybe a bold young coach will see Las Vegas as an open sandbox waiting to be shaped. Or maybe he’ll see a haunted construction site that keeps hiring new foremen while the foundation quietly shifts beneath them.
The characterization of the job as “attractive” seems less like an objective assessment and more akin to a choose-your-own-adventure story, where both possible outcomes lead to the same conclusion: the Raiders remain the Raiders.
*Top Photo: Ramble Illustration/Getty Images