With the coaching cycle in full swing, a new surprise appears to be popping up every day. Several surprising names have already been dismissed, with the potential for more depending on the outcomes of these 2025 playoffs. An absurd eight positions are open across the league, which has led to more coaching candidates than many had anticipated before the season.
In the AFC West, the Raiders pose as the lone opening for a new head coach, but that is almost an annual occurrence at this rate. The Raiders are clearly casting a wide net for their head coaching vacancy, and it has included some incredibly interesting names, to say the least. In fact, you could easily argue that their list of candidates, and likely ones at that, is pretty underwhelming.
Their grand idea to invest in rebuilding a former mediocre Seahawks team with Pete Carroll and Geno Smith clearly did not work out, and both are seemingly on their way out in Vegas. The franchise needs a reset in the worst way possible, which could be attractive to a coach who wants to build something from scratch. This has led them to a few interesting names for their next head man, including one who could find his way back to the AFC West, where he once roamed the Denver Broncos' sidelines.
The Raiders will interview Ejiro Evero for their head coaching position
The Raiders are set to interview former Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero for their head coaching vacancy, which puts a fun twist on one of the more interesting coaching searches in football. Evero would immediately team up with all-world pass rusher Maxx Crosby, be able to start new at the quarterback position with likely Fernando Mendoza, and build his own defense that already has a few interesting pieces in the back seven.
What makes Evero such an interesting potential head man is that his defense wasn't exactly great in Carolina, but he has been considered a head coaching prospect since his time in Denver. He even turned down the interim head coaching spot after the firing of Nate Hackett late in 2022, and now once again finds himself in a spot where he could be asked to be the head man for a franchise in 2026. Evero was also requested to interview by the Falcons.
If he does take the Raiders job, it likely isn't a great sign for the Broncos or the rest of the AFC West. Evero is a smart coach, a great play caller, and has built multiple solid NFL defenses in his time as a defensive coordinator. He seems to be very well respected by players as well, which could lead to him building something strong in Las Vegas. For the Broncos' sake, let's hope he remains the defensive coordinator for the Panthers.