HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis issued a statement after firing coach Pete Carroll on Monday saying that minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek would work together to find a replacement.
But Davis' statement went even beyond that, saying Spytek would “lead all football operations” with Brady, bringing clarity to what was an uncertain reporting system.
There were questions at the end of his tenure about how much power Carroll had, and the number of his former Seattle players who ended up in Las Vegas indicated he had at least some.
Carroll and Spytek have acknowledged they occasionally butted heads on the right way to build the Raiders.
Carroll is gone after going 3-14 in his lone season and now Spytek will receive even more focus where the organization goes from here.
“I think we have a great opportunity to build this franchise the right way now,” Spytek said. "We never want to be in the spot again. I never thought I would be in the spot, but we got to be real with where we’re at. We have to understand the opportunity that we have in front of us, and our focus and our vision is on everything going forward now.”
Spytek and Brady have a lot to offer the next coach. The Raiders, in need of a franchise quarterback, own the first pick in this year's draft. That gives them a chance at selecting Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza if that's the direction the front office chooses to go.
Las Vegas also has more than $100 million in salary cap space, second most in the NFL, according to overthecap.com.
Spytek made it clear he's not expecting a quick turnaround even with those advantages.
“We’re looking for someone to build this the right way and not think that we’ve got to produce 10 wins or whatever next year," Spytek said. "I’ve always kind of thought that you’re never as good in this league as you think you are, and you’re never as far away as you think you are. We’re just going to go open-minded.
"Whoever’s the best coach for the Las Vegas Raiders is who we’re going to hire, and we’re not beginning with the end in mind. We want a meticulous build that will set us up for years of success in the future, and we have a great opportunity to do that with everything that we have in front of us right now.”
That approach was the opposite of what Carroll espoused upon taking the job last January. He talked then and all the way until the season began about winning right away, that he was used to double-digit victories and fully expected those kinds of results.
As the season became more and more dismal, Carroll expressed shock that the winning he was used to with the Seahawks and at Southern California didn't follow him to Las Vegas.
Carroll also last week acknowledged that it took some time for he and Spytek to establish a cohesive working relationship.
“We’re way better now than we were at the start,” Carroll said. "I want to make sure that I can complement all that John brings, and I need him to do the same for me. So that’s a work in progress, and it’s relationships. You got to work hard at it, and I love the guy. I think he’s bright as hell, he’s principled, he’s strong, he’s got integrity, he’s got character. He’s got all of the right stuff to be a fantastic general manager in this league.”
Spytek downplayed but didn't deny issues working with Carroll.
“I’ve also never been in a relationship where we both agree all the time,” Spytek said. "I mean, ask my wife, she’ll tell you that. Anything that we didn’t always agree on, we talked about. He was always in my office. I was always in his office. We collectively sat in the space together until we felt like we could make the best decision in the Raiders, and we didn’t obviously get everything right."
Now Spytek will get to work with Brady. They were teammates in 1999 at Michigan before reuniting in 2020 when Brady quarterbacked Tampa Bay to the Super Bowl title with Spytek in the front office.
“We see football similar. We don’t see it the same," Spytek said. "We have plenty of discussions and disagreements, and I’m not afraid to tell him that. I think that’s kind of why he likes me. We’ve both had a lot of success seeing it that way, and I think we know what we’re after, and it’s up to us now to go find it.”
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FILE - Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek speaks at a news conference Jan. 27, 2025, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
FILE - NFL analyst Tom Brady looks on before an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants, Oct. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr., File)
