Who Can Raiders Turn to Now at HC?

The Las Vegas Raiders had a chance to land Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, but the coveted coaching candidate has agreed to coach the Chicago Bears.

According to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, Johnson will make the jump to his NFC North rival. The Raiders had a chance, but Chicago ultimately landed Johnson.

A new day in Chicago: The #Bears are finalizing a deal to hire Ben Johnson as their head coach, per sources.

Johnson is set to fly there soon and contract parameters are in place. Barring a last-minute snag, the #Lions OC lands with an NFC North rival. pic.twitter.com/Y1i4lRtpw5
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 20, 2025

Johnson was the Raiders’ top coaching choice, but he was not their only choice. There are still plenty of impressive and qualified coaches the Raiders could consider.

Losing out on their top option could accelerate the Raiders’ coaching search. If that is the case, would it not make sense to consider the other big-time Detroit coordinator?

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is another heavily-sought head coaching candidate. Despite a loss to the Washington Commanders, where the Lions allowed 45 points, Glenn’s coaching pedigree kept Detroit competitive all season while the team dealt with several injuries.

Glenn would create a culture in which players would want to participate, as Dan Campbell did in Detroit. The Raiders are a historic franchise but have not won much in the last few decades. Could Glenn turn things around with the blueprint Campbell has given him?

Another option the Raiders could consider is Pete Carroll. Most recently, the 73-year-old served as a senior advisor with the Seattle Seahawks last season when Mike MacDonald took over head coaching duties.

While Carroll is considerably older than the other candidates Las Vegas has considered, NFL insider Benjamin Allbright reported that Carroll could be the Raiders’ plan B. Allbright believes Carroll is ‘probably the better fit for what they need right now if they’re unable to land Johnson.’

If I had to guess today:

The Ben Johnson domino changes things so I tried to account for the outcomes here.

Patriots: it was Vrabel all along that was easy.

Jets: I think Aaron Glenn is who they want, if he were to choose New Orleans this starts to get interesting I suspect…
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) January 20, 2025

Would the Raiders consider promoting defensive coordinator Patrick Graham? The longtime NFL DC has interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars head coaching opening twice while also interviewing for the open Cincinnati Bengals’ DC job. He is beloved within the Raiders organization, so keeping some continuity would not be the worst idea.

It is disappointing that the Raiders did not land Johnson, but that does not mean they will not land a good head coach. Tom Brady will continue to evaluate all his options and find who he feels is the best fit.

This coaching search will continue, and we will bring you the newest details as soon as we receive them.

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