The list of teams around the NFL that will need a new head coach continues to grow. Ten teams will begin the 2026 season with a new leader on the sidelines following Monday’s news that the Buffalo Bills were moving on from Sean McDermott after nine seasons.
Of course, the Las Vegas Raiders are one of those franchises, as Pete Carroll lasted just one year before being fired on Jan. 5. The organization is in the process of an extensive search, which is now in its third week of interviews and is expected to last at least one more week.
Las Vegas was once viewed as, arguably, the most desirable landing spot. It possesses plenty of cap space and draft capital, including the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which many expect to be used on Fernando Mendoza. McDermott’s being fired, however, could complicate things.
The Bills have been a perennial contender under McDermott, reaching the postseason eight times, including two trips to the AFC Championship Game. They were unable to break through, however, as both resulted in losses to the Kansas City Chiefs, who eliminated them four times.
With Kansas City, along with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, missing the postseason in 2025, many expected this to be the year that Buffalo finally reached the Super Bowl, as Josh Allen was clearly the best quarterback left standing in the AFC.
It was not meant to be, however, as they suffered a 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round. The loss was hardly McDermott’s fault, as Allen turned the ball over four times, effectively giving the Broncos the game.
While the Bills were on the wrong end of several controversial calls, they opted to move in a different direction by firing McDermott, despite general manager Brandon Beane not exactly drafting well in recent years. That decision has the potential to negatively impact the Raiders’ ongoing search.
Las Vegas was previously labeled the most desirable coaching vacancy by Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer just last week. That may no longer be the case, however, as the opportunity to coach Allen and a roster already built to contend should certainly be a bigger attraction to this year’s top candidates.
While Mendoza certainly has the potential to become a top quarterback, Allen is already exactly that and remains at the peak of his powers. It is unclear if Buffalo will be looking for an offensive mind to lead their roster, but if that is the case, they could attempt to land one of the Raiders’ top choices.
Las Vegas has also met with defensive candidates, but the overwhelming consensus is that they will look to pair Mendoza with a young, offensive coach. If the Bills are looking to follow a similar route, it could further delay the Raiders’ coaching search.
With the way that Buffalo is constructed, it would not be a surprise to see the top candidates on the market wait for them to make a move before agreeing to take another role. Las Vegas can only hope that they make that decision soon, while not poaching the front office’s top target.
