The Las Vegas Raiders are moving in a new direction after firing veteran head coach Pete Carroll, and minority owner Tom Brady is expected to play a significant role in the developments. Brady joined forces with the Vegas franchise when he bought partial ownership of the team in October 2024.
What role will he now play in shaping the Raiders’ identity?
Tom Brady to Help ‘Guide Football Decisions’ After Raiders Fire Pete Carroll
The Raiders fired Carroll on Monday following a 3-14 season in the coach’s first year with the team. What was supposed to be a winning season under the former Super Bowl winner turned out to be nothing short of failure.
While the roster showed flashes of potential, the former Seattle Seahawks coach couldn’t extract enough out of the team. They finished dead last on offense and 25th on defense.
The franchise’s top brass isn’t giving Carroll another chance to prove himself, and Brady will now offer his expertise in establishing their new direction, according to owner Mark Davis.
“The Las Vegas Raiders have relieved Pete Carroll of his duties as head coach,” the team tweeted on X. “We appreciate and wish him and his family all the best. Moving forward, General Manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady, including the search for the club’s next head coach. Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals… Mark Davis.”
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 5, 2026
Davis appoints a seasoned duo of executives in Spytek and Brady.
The general manager has deep ties to the NFL, dating back to his early years in the league, when he worked alongside Andy Reid, John Harbaugh, and Sean McDermott at the Philadelphia Eagles.
He later expanded his network while working with John Fox, John Elway, and Gary Kubiak at the Denver Broncos until 2015.
Spytek then spent the better part of a decade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he worked with Todd Monken, Jason Licht, and Bruce Arians, before joining the Raiders in 2025.
His new partnership with Brady isn’t the first time they’ve crossed paths, though, as they’re well-acquainted from their days with the Bucs, when they won the Super Bowl in 2020.
As for Brady, his 26 years in the league have also seen him accumulate experience, insights, and expertise through a vast network of acquaintances. From his days with the New England Patriots alongside Josh McDaniels and the legendary Bill Belichick to his stint in Tampa with Todd Bowles and Byron Leftwich, his background in pro football should go a long way in establishing Vegas’s new direction with Spytek.
