First-year Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll relieved offensive coordinator Chip Kelly of his duties shortly after the club fell to 2-9 on the season via a 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns this past Sunday.
On Wednesday, NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic revealed that Raiders minority owner Tom Brady understandably isn’t thrilled with the state of the club heading into the Thanksgiving holiday.
Tom Brady clearly believed 2025 Raiders would be better than they are
“Quarterbacks coach Greg Olson has taken over as the offensive coordinator in Las Vegas after the team fired Chip Kelly on Sunday,” Russini wrote. “I’m told minority owner Tom Brady was a big advocate of bringing in Kelly to run the offense, and he has shared with some people close to him his disappointment in the team’s overall performance. His frustrations go beyond the offense, too.”
Brady allegedly had a significant role in the Raiders’ decision to part ways with former head coach Antonio Pierce following the 2024 season. Brady reportedly was also involved in the Raiders’ hiring of Carroll and general manager John Spytek.
Brady and Spytek were teammates at Michigan, and Carroll said this past spring that Brady becoming a minority owner of the Raiders “changed my outlook to come here.”
Brady also reportedly endorsed the Raiders acquiring quarterback Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks this past offseason. Thus far, that experiment hasn’t worked well for Las Vegas.
According to ESPN stats, the Raiders enter Week 13 ranked 30th in the NFL with an average of 268.9 total yards gained per game and last with an average of 15.0 points scored per contest (tied with the New Orleans Saints). Per Pro Football Reference, Smith is 32nd among qualified players with a 29.3 adjusted QBR on the campaign.
Will Tom Brady push for significant changes this coming winter?
Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated is among NFL writers who have suggested that the Raiders should move on from Carroll this winter. At 74 years old, Carroll is a win-now coach who currently works for a team that seemingly isn’t one solid offseason away from becoming a legitimate contender.
Russini’s update indicates Brady could push Raiders principal owner Mark Davis to make such a decision come January.
