Raiders Firing Chip Kelly Exposes Rift in Carroll’s Staff

Pete Carroll’s decision last week to fire offensive coordinator Chip Kelly after a jarring loss to the Cleveland Browns did more than signal frustration with a stagnant attack. It pulled back the curtain on growing tension inside the Las Vegas Raiders’ building and highlighted why Carroll’s first season in charge continues to spiral. Kelly entered the year as the league’s highest-paid coordinator and carried expectations of revitalizing the offense, yet his 11-game tenure unfolded amid confusion, philosophical conflict, and an identity that never aligned with the system he built his reputation on. Carroll’s influence permeated nearly every layer of the offense, creating a disjointed partnership that ultimately unraveled under the weight of poor execution and divergent visions.

Kelly’s run as the Raiders’ OC lasted just 11 games, and by all accounts, it unfolded as a mess. Despite the investment, his offense ranked among the bottom tier of the NFL. Analysts who studied the Raiders’ approach didn’t believe Kelly controlled the offense in a meaningful way. The scheme hardly resembled the fast, creative system that defined his earlier coaching stops.

Carroll’s Influence on the Offense

Defensive coordinators who prepared for the Raiders said the offense mirrored the Seattle Seahawks’ 2023 playbook far more than anything from Kelly’s past. His trademark shotgun run game appeared only in small flashes. Instead, the attack leaned heavily on under-center zone concepts Carroll prefers, producing an awkward mix that leaned mostly in Carroll’s direction. One opposing team even crafted its scout cards from old Seattle film.

With Greg Olson stepping in as the interim OC, the core structure likely remains intact. Expect the Raiders to play faster and attempt to give quarterback Geno Smith cleaner pockets, but the identity won’t shift dramatically heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Offensive Production Hits Rock Bottom

Las Vegas sits at 15 points per game, tying New Orleans for the NFL’s lowest mark. Their ground game offers no relief either, ranking last in yards per carry for a second straight season—3.5 this year after 3.6 in 2024.

Smith, handpicked by Carroll, leads the league with 13 interceptions. The roster lacks playmaking talent, and the organization faces a looming debate between retooling and rebuilding. Carroll, wired to win immediately at age 74, continues coaching with urgency, but the personnel decisions don’t always reflect that urgency.

Rookie participation reveals that disconnect. Las Vegas rookies have logged 1,327 snaps, the 12th-fewest in the league. First-round running back Ashton Jeanty accounts for nearly half of that workload with 479 snaps, while the rest of the rookie class struggles to find playing time.

Miscommunication and Mismanagement

NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero recently told The Rich Eisen Show that Kelly occasionally botched his own play calls and even called plays that never made it into the game plan—an extremely rare error at the professional level. Those issues reportedly stemmed from Kelly’s frustration with Carroll’s tight grip on the offense and the limited autonomy he felt throughout the season.

Kelly entered the job fresh off coordinating Ohio State’s 2024 College Football Playoff championship run. He fielded multiple opportunities before agreeing to join the Raiders in February 2025, returning to the NFL after nearly a decade away. Had he known how little control he would wield, some believe he might have pursued a different landing spot.

In the spring, coaches inside the building expressed excitement about installing Kelly’s up-tempo, shotgun-driven offense. Instead, that vision never took shape. Several staff members—such as offensive line coach Brennan Carroll—held strong ties to Pete Carroll, creating an environment where Kelly’s imprint diminished and Carroll’s system dominated.

With six games remaining, the Raiders confront a harsh truth: their season reflects not just poor execution, but clashing philosophies and a fractured offensive identity. The challenge now shifts to salvaging cohesion—and credibility—before the year runs out.