Jan 27, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek at press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

What the Raiders Need in 2026

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Jan 1, 2026 11:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have been the worst team in football this season. They consistently get blown out, and even when they don't, it's not like they win in close games. They're 1 - 4 this season in one-score games.

Other teams have similar records, but none of them had the preseason expectations that the Raiders did. This team was supposed to make a playoff push. Instead, they're in line to have the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. What must they do differently next year?

New Year's Resolution

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If there's one New Year's resolution the Raiders must make for 2026, it's to find a franchise head coach. It's been proven in the NFL that success starts at the top, and the Raiders haven't been able to find any consistency at that position for years.

Ever since they moved to Las Vegas, the Raiders haven't held on to a head coach for more than a year. They thought they were getting a legendary head coach in Pete Carroll, but after the season they've had, that trend looks to continue.

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Dating all the way back to the year 2000, the Raiders as a franchise haven't held on to a head coach for longer than two years. The only exception is Jon Gruden, who had two separate stints as their head coach during that time.

It's hard to establish a culture and cultivate success when it's just a revolving door of who calls the shots. The Raiders can potentially have the first overall pick for the second time in their franchise history. They need someone who knows what they're doing and knows the direction they want to take this organization into the future. Carroll's clearly not cutting it, so who should they be looking out for this offseason?

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If I were in charge of the Raiders, I'd start calling Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula and make my pitch for why he should be the Raiders' next head coach. He's in charge of one of the best defenses in the NFL, and if there's one thing the Raiders have always been known for, it's their bone-crushing defense.

That identity has corroded over the years, and with a star like Maxx Crosby , imagine what he could scheme up. A defensive-minded head coach is always a little scary, especially with them in dire need of some offense, but he's been paired with Sean McVay for the majority of his career. Surely, he's got to have learned a thing or two by now.