REPORT: AFC West Rival Named Losers of Carroll's Raiders Hiring

If anything, Pete Carroll's hiring signals a commitment to stability and continuity for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Minority owner Tom Brady set out with that goal in mind when Antonio Pierce was fired, and general manager John Spytek clearly bought into that similar thinking.
Carroll, a Super Bowl-winning head coach, still has a lot to offer and the Raiders will be competitive at minimum. In a stacked AFC West, Carroll makes the Raiders tougher and the division more challenging for the teams perceivably in good situations.
Take for instance, the Los Angeles Chargers. Jim Harbaugh instantly made the team respectable again, turning them in to a playoff caliber squad and exacting his vision for the franchise from Day 1. Bleacher Report's Moe Moton, however, thinks the Carroll hiring just amde it tougher for the Chargers and Harbaugh.
Carroll and Harbaugh have an extensive history with one another, from their days as Pac-12 rivals at USC and Stanford, respectively, to their clashes in the NFC West with Seattle and San Fransisco.
"In the NFL, though, Carroll has had the upper hand over Harbaugh (6-5), especially in their most recent battles,” Moton wrote, per Chargers On SI's Chris Roling. “Though the Chargers are coming off a year in which they clinched a playoff berth with an 11-6 record, Harbaugh probably isn't thrilled to see Carroll back in his conference and division.”
Roling himself gave his take on the soon-to-be renewed Carroll-Harbaugh battles.
"Things change, though. A mellowed Harbaugh showed up with the Chargers last year and took them to the playoffs in a supposed soft rebuild year," Roling wrote. "One could suggest Carroll might be able to do the same with the Raiders, but the difference that sticks out the most is comparing Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to the question mark under center for the Raiders.
"By most accounts, the Chargers have a big leg up in the rebuilding status of their respective programs right now. Harbaugh and Co. get to surge ahead with roughly $65 million in free cap space to build around a franchise passer already on his big-money extension and with a roster accustomed to postseason play. From an annoyance standpoint, Harbaugh and the Chargers’ path through the AFC West got a little tougher. But they can do plenty this offseason to make sure they aren't outright losers in the ordeal."
Perhaps Roling did ground things a little bit. That being said, Carroll has Harbaugh's number, and things are going to get very interesting come the 2025 season. With the right offseason, the Raiders might not be as far behind as some think.
Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and never miss another breaking news story again.
Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE