1 Eyebrow-Raising Suggestion for Raiders' HC Search

The Las Vegas Raiders enter the offseason largely in the driver's seat. They own the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Las Vegas has reason to be excited about the possibilities moving forward. However, some angst about their chances of getting things right might be fair at the moment.

A Suggestion for the Raiders

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk recently made a suggestion for the Raiders' consideration as they search for a new head coach. Despite their 3-14 campaign, Las Vegas has one of the brightest futures of any team searching for a head coach. Still, the Raiders should be open to all options.

"If the Raiders are thinking about making Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft, why not think about pairing him with Cignetti? In the 23 seasons since the Raiders appeared in Super Bowl XXXVII, they have had two playoff appearances and no postseason wins. They could do a lot worse than Cignetti, because they have," Florio said.

Florio was not the only one who thinks Cignetti is at least worth the Raiders' consideration. Insider Rich Eisen believes so as well. Assuming the Raiders select quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Cignetti is a viable option, at least on paper.

Whether or not the Raiders' front office agrees is all that will matter. Still, Eisen thinks it is a credible idea, early in the search. Las Vegas' front office must get on the same page and move in unison to help solidify what has been an inconsistent coaching staff and team.

"If I'm Mark Davis, the first person I call, and I understand this would be out of the ordinary. And I understand I might be stirring something up that doesn't exist. But I want to find out. I'm just going to say it, if you don't mind," Eisen said.

"I'm going to say, I find out the phone number of Curt Cignetti. And I call him up, and I say 'Listen, I don't mean to disturb you, I don't know if you're aware, but we hold the first pick in the draft. And you've got Heisman-doza quarterback that we're kind of interested in. And I don't know if you're interested in this pro game, but do you want to move to Las Vegas, Nevada, and be, still coaching your superb individual human being and quarterback Fernando Mendoza?"

Shortly after Pete Carroll was fired, Raiders General Manager John Spytek knows his roster needs a ton of work. The Raiders have a long offseason ahead, but it could be franchise-altering if done correctly.

“I think we have a big mountain to climb, but we're not trying to do it all in one day, and steady success, leadership and just show up every day will get us a long way. I don't know if you totally know that until you go through this," Spytek said.

Have our Raiders stories sent to you. Sign up for our FREE newsletter. It will come straight to your email with the latest news. We do not spam you or sell your information.  SIGN UP HERE NOW.

• Why Raiders Make Perfect Sense For John Harbaugh
• NFC Foe Set to Interview Raiders' Patrick Graham
• The Raiders' Coaching Search is Fully Underway
• 3 Top Head Coach Candidates for the Raiders