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Did Raiders HC Pete Carroll Take Shot at Chip Kelly?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Austin C. Boyd | Last updated Oct 8, 2025 6:32 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders aren't doing anything well this season. The offense, defense and special teams have all been below average.

The defensive struggles aren't a surprise, as the team just doesn't have that much talent on that side of the ball. However, the offense was expected to be much better.

The Raiders traded for quarterback Geno Smith and gave him a big contract extension, and also brought on Chip Kelly as the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. The results? Smith leads the league with nine interceptions, and the offense is averaging 16.6 points a game, which is third-worst in the NFL. Head coach Pete Carroll is loyal to Smith, and it appears he has some feelings about how Kelly is running the offense.

Did Carroll Throw Kelly Under the Bus?

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Smith has never been a top-five quarterback, but he's flirted with being in the top 10. His drop off this season has been staggering. His 75.6 pass rating is 30th in the NFL.

Despite that, Carroll doesn't seem keen on benching them. In fact, he might believe that Kelly is more to blame for the offensive struggles.

“The running game has looked well right now, we need to get more of it … and we gotta make sure that we’re calling all the best stuff in the situations. He’s not calling the plays,” Carroll told reporters on Wednesday when asked about Smith.

While it's not a direct shot at Kelly, it does seem that Carroll is suggesting that the offensive coordinator isn't putting Smith in a position to succeed. Regardless, the coaching staff needs to get on the same page, or this season is going to get very ugly for Las Vegas.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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