Raiders mailbag: Does Pete Carroll’s timeline mesh with a rookie QB?
The Raiders travel to Houston to play the Texans on Sunday as 14-point underdogs.
Coming off a 31-0 loss to the Eagles and in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, it’s shaping up as another long afternoon against an opponent that is on track to make the playoffs.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing for Raiders fans looking to secure the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The prospect of that pick and the quarterback possibly associated with it is heavy on the minds of fans.
Here’s a sampling of what arrived in this week’s mailbag:
Matt Berger (@matt_berger): If the Raiders end up with a top two pick and are poised to take a quarterback, is it in the team’s best interest to hitch a rookie quarterback to a 74-year-old coach?
Bonsignore: That’s one of many questions the Raiders must ask themselves when deciding whether to move on from Pete Carroll after one season.
When teams draft young quarterbacks, ideally they get paired with a coach who provides stability and longevity. That’s not what Carroll represents.
Granted, the Raiders can set up a situation in which Carroll hires a young, up-and-coming offensive coordinator to pair with the quarterback and who could replace Carroll. But that’s easier in theory than in reality.
The best bet might be to use this offseason to find their next coach and quarterback and hope both can grow together.
Thomas Castro (@thomasjcastro1): If the Raiders end up getting the first pick, is it possible they could trade it to the Bengals for Joe Burrow?
Bonsignore: Anything is possible, but you’re talking about surrendering three first-round picks and then some for a talent such as Burrow, then assuming more than $80 million in salary between 2026 and 2027. You would have a great quarterback, but how would you build around him after losing all those draft picks and with his salary eating into the cap?
The better bet might be to draft a quarterback at No. 1 and hope he can replicate Burrow, then build around him with draft capital and ample salary cap space with a quarterback on a rookie deal.
If the Raiders didn’t have as many roster holes as they do, it’s a different story.
@BestInTheW0rId: If coach Pete Carroll stays and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham leaves, why should a young, up-and-coming coach think about being an offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator under him?
Bonsignore: Like what Dan Quinn, Dave Canales, Brian Schottenheimer, Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin did? Every one of them worked under Carroll as young coaches and coordinators.
It hasn’t worked out for Carroll in Las Vegas for various reasons. But he has always identified good, young coaches and helped groom them into viable head coaches.
Bill Shepherd (@MyGSDog_HavoK): Why isn’t Pete Carroll being roasted in his news conferences for letting defensive end Maxx Crosby, with his injured knee, play every snap in a 31-0 blowout to the Eagles?
Bonsignore: In 2016, during the Rams’ 4-12 season, a key player played through the end of the season — even when all hope was lost.
His name was Aaron Donald, a future Hall of Famer. Guys like Crosby and Donald play if they are healthy. To them, that’s the difference between being a professional and a quitter.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore
