The Las Vegas Raiders ended their 2024 season as one of the biggest embarrassments in the NFL. Following their 4-13 season, the team let go of Antonio Pierce, who could find himself on Denver's staff next year. Attention in Las Vegas now turns to where the Raiders go with their head coaching vacancy, and the rest of the NFL looks on to see how the Raiders mess this up.
If they handle this in classic Raiders fashion, they almost assuredly will mess this up. Let's take a look at coaching candidates Broncos fans should hope to take over in Vegas
3 head coaches Broncos should be fine seeing hired by Raiders in 2025
1) Steve Spagnuolo, Chiefs DC
Steve Spagnuolo joining the Raiders as their head coach would be wonderful for the Broncos on a few different levels. For one, a defensive-minded head coach joining the Raiders would be appreciated. The team's offensive unit is one of the worst in football, and a lack of a quarterback or a shot at drafting one sets them up for another down year next year.
Not to diss Spagnuolo, but it is hard to think of a worse fit for a potential head coach than Spagnuolo in Las Vegas. The man is 65, has not been a head coach since 2011, and would be leaving one of the more cushiony defensive coordinator gigs in the game for a job that just recently came open for the third time in as many years. It would be the makings of a horrible match,
2) Deion Sanders, Colorado HC
This one could make for some great content. The Raiders have typically been one of the more dramatic teams in football, and bringing in Sanders might add to that. Not that Sanders is dramatic, but dramatics with the media follow him wherever he goes. He seems to have a very safe job at Colorado, but he might be more open to leaving for the NFL now that his sons are out of college.
Sanders, a CEO-style coach, might arrive in Las Vegas with one true item on his itinerary: move up to draft his son. Sanders is yet to coach at the collegiate level without his son on his team, so a move to the NFL to snag his kid might make sense. Moving up for Sanders would set the Raiders back again, and would leave them without the ability to try and fill any of the numerous other holes the team has. Broncos fans should feel optimistic about another classic Raiders mistake if they sign Sanders on to coach the team.
3) Vance Joseph, Broncos DC
This one would be great for Denver in a few areas. For one, any team that hires Joseph as a head coach would afford the Broncos a pair of third-round selections as a result of the league's minority coach and executive pipeline project. A pair of thirds would do wonders for the Broncos and might be more appealing than retaining Joseph. A promotion of Jim Leonhard would make immediate, logical sense, and the defensive unit might not skip a beat going from Vance to Leonhard.
As for Vance in Vegas, this spells a lot like hiring Spagnuolo would. The Raiders have requested to interview Joseph, and the expectation is that he will speak with them soon. A defensive-minded retread coach with this current roster and draft pick selection would lead to a few issues. For one, much like Spagnuolo, the offense would be due for another awful year.
There isn't much reason to have faith that a Joseph lead staff would be able to turn any of their current quarterbacks into a legitimate starter, and no free agent options make sense for the team. Beyond that, Broncos fans have seen Joseph as a head coach. As the tale goes in the NFL, some coaches are better off as coordinators than the CEO. Vance jumping ship to the Raiders would be a tough hand to be dealt, but odds are it would not end well at all.