Raiders beat writer suggests crazy idea to save franchise

This season has forced the Las Vegas Raiders into an uncomfortable position.

It has been clear since the season’s early stages that Pete Carroll and Geno Smith were not the right choices to bring the Raiders back to relevance. With the season now weeks away from a merciful end, both big swings being one-and-done propositions are real possibilities. The Raiders would then be looking for their fourth head coach and starting quarterback in as many seasons, and the list of potentially interesting options is growing shorter by the year.

With the Raiders in a crisis, one best writer has suggested an idea that would undoubtedly bring the team back into the national spotlight.

Could the Raiders bring back two controversial figures from the past to save the team?

Sports Illustrated’s Hondo Carpenter pitched the idea that Raiders owner Mark Davis should go out and convince Jon Gruden on a third go-around with the franchise.

“Hire Jon Gruden. I said it. Hire Chucky. It is no secret that when the coach was let go after a scandal involving leaked emails (of which he has apologized), Jon Gruden’s second tenure as the head coach of the Silver and Black had turned a corner,” wrote Carpenter.

On top of that, Carpenter decided to go all-in on nostalgia by suggesting quarterback Derek Carr return to the franchise as well.

“Carr has never wavered about his love for the Silver and Black and his admiration for Gruden. Gruden could ask the all-time Raiders (passing leader) QB if he would sign a one or two-year deal to come back and groom a rookie like Fernando Mendoza,” Carpenter added.

While the idea is nice, the reality surrounding Gruden right now makes this next-to-impossible.

Gruden is currently embroiled in legal issues with the NFL surrounding the email scandal that ended his second run with the Raiders. His status as a non-NFL employee was vital in securing an open trial from the Nevada Supreme Court, and he would be foolish to jeopardize that momentum.

That is before going into the status of Carr.

Carr retired this offseason due to a right shoulder injury that revealed degenerative issues in his rotator cuff, so his playing condition is already in question. Then, there’s the matter of being high enough in the draft to select someone like Mendoza or another top quarterback. If the rest of the season goes that far south, why not just start the rookie and sign one of the high-end backups who make up the free agent quarterback market this offseason?

Gruden and Carr returning would be a dopamine hit to a team and fanbase in desperate need of one, but neither feel rooted in reality at the moment.