Pete Carroll outlines Tom Brady's role in Raiders' QB search

Expect Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady to play an active role in their search for a viable starting quarterback. 

This season, the Raiders started QBs Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell and Desmond Ridder, going 4-13. In his introductory news conference on Monday, new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said he will pick Brady's brain to find the answer. Of course, Brady — a former QB — won seven Super Bowls in 23 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots. 

"It's our mission to build this team up around the quarterback position. This isn't the only spot," Carroll told the media. "We happen to have the greatest of all time to help us and to see clearly, and we're going to lean on Tom as much as we can for his insights because nobody has the insights that he has. He's that unique."

With that in mind, don't be surprised if Brady influences the Raiders' plans during the 2025 NFL Draft, scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay. 

Brady seems to have a close relationship with Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, who finished second in the FBS in touchdown passes (37 in 13 starts) this season. They trained together in June 2020. Sanders signed an NIL deal with Brady's apparel brand in October 2022.

In his latest mock draft, CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso has the Raiders trading the No. 6 pick to the Tennessee Titans to move up to No. 1 and take Sanders. 

"There's a chance Brady's connection to Sanders will make it too dicey for Las Vegas to simply hope and wait for him to fall to No. 6 overall," wrote Trapasso. 

Drafting Sanders wouldn't necessarily preclude the Raiders from signing a bridge QB, perhaps Russell Wilson of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wilson, 36, played for Carroll for 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, winning Super Bowl XLVIII. 

However, Carroll probably won't hand-pick a QB until he gets Brady's approval.