Black Monday in the NFL continues as Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll and Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon were each relieved of their duties.
Carroll’s era with the Raiders comes to an end after just 1 season in which the team secured the number 1 overall pick in this springs draft following a tumultuous year. The 74 year old went 3-14 on the season, and dropped 10 straight contests at one point before winning their season finale 14-12 over a depleted Chiefs roster.
“The Las Vegas Raiders have relieved Pete Carroll of his duties as head coach,” said owner Mark Davis is a prepared statement. “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.”
The Raiders signed Carroll to a 3 year deal with a team option for a 4th season just last January. However a 1-5 record against the AFC West, coupled with 9 double digit losses on the year was too much for ownership to ignore, prompting an abrupt change in direction.
Meanwhile in the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals dismissed 3rd year head coach Jonathan Gannon Monday afternoon following a 15-36 run with the club. During his time in the desert, Gannon never finished higher than 3rd in the NFC West, and failed to reach the postseason in any of his years along the sidelines.
After improving from 4-13 to 8-9 last year, the Cardinals took another step backwards in 2025, posting an abysmal 3-14 record. As a result, the team will pick 3rd in the upcoming NFL Draft, selecting behind the Raiders and the New York Jets.
“When I look at just the totality of the circumstances, I wanted 17 games over the 18 weeks to make that decision,” owner Michael Bidwill said. “Monti [Ossenfort] and I wanted to give the benefit of those coaches and those players to see a whole body of work for the whole season. And at the end of last night when we had a chance to speak, and then again this morning after sleeping on it, we decided this was the best direction to go.”
“He made us better, but I think as you all know, this is a league about wins and losses,” Bidwill continued. “The wins and losses speak for themselves, especially this year. We just felt like we were going in the wrong direction and we needed to change course.”
Gannon had 2 years remaining on the deal he signed back in 2023. Ossenfort will also have his hands full deciding on what to do with their franchise QB. Kyler Murray had another injury plagued season, and even when healthy, struggled to move the offence along in a meaningful way.
$19.5M of Murray’s current salary becomes guaranteed this March, meaning the club will have to sort out their next head coach in relatively short order so they can then make a collective decision on what the future holds for the former number 1 overall pick.
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