Insiders link Raiders with Super Bowl champion coach after Ben Johnson chooses Bears

Many thought as recently as this past weekend that then-Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson could soon become the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, in part because Johnson was reportedly interested in working under Raiders minority owner Tom Brady. However, multiple reports confirmed on Monday that Johnson chose the Chicago Bears over Brady's Raiders. 

Shortly after the Johnson news broke, Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic reported that former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was "believed to be the Raiders' top option" for the job. 

"Jed Hughes, who the Raiders have contracted from search firm Korn Ferry to help coordinate their GM and head-coach searches, helped place Carroll with the Seahawks in 2010, so there’s plenty of familiarity there," Tafur and Reed explained.

Meanwhile, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk shared on Tuesday morning that he learned on Monday outsiders shouldn't "overlook the possibility of" Carroll accepting the Raiders job. Carroll interviewed with both the Bears and the Raiders before Monday's developments. 

Carroll served as head coach of the Seahawks from 2010 through the 2023 season. While he guided that franchise to two Super Bowl appearances and one title, some have suggested the fact he turns 74 years old this coming September could turn teams off considering it's likely he'll only be a short-term fix for any club. 

With that said, it's now no secret that Brady reached out to current North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick during the ongoing hiring cycle. The exact nature of those conversations remains somewhat of a mystery, but it is worth noting that Belichick turns 73 years old in April. On Monday afternoon, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reminded the football world that Brady had "spoken with Belichick about the job as well" this winter. 

Belichick hasn't yet given any public sign he'd leave North Carolina without ever coaching a game for the program to return to the NFL this offseason. Updates on the Raiders' search that were offered after Johnson's decision went public indicate that Brady has either given up on pursuing Belichick or learned some time ago that the living legend was never a real option for Las Vegas.