After looking into a few outside candidates, the Raiders are in position to maintain the status quo at the defensive coordinator spot. Pete Carroll is set to have continuity on that side of the ball for 2025.
Patrick Graham is working out a deal with the team which will see him remain in his role as DC, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports. The door has remained open to such a possibility in the wake of Carroll’s hire, and as long as an agreement can be reached, that will prove to be the case. Vic Tafur of the The Athletic confirms this situation is trending in the direction of continuity. A deal has now been worked out, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Graham’s previous contract expired, but he has a new one in hand.
Graham has been with Vegas for the past three seasons, having served as a coordinator in the NFL each year dating back to 2019. The 46-year-old was naturally seen as a replacement candidate once Carroll was brought in, given the fact teams often undergo mass changes on the sidelines in the wake of a head coaching hire. A report from yesterday noted, however, that Graham and Carroll would meet to discuss working together in 2025.
It appears that effort will produce an arrangement allowing Graham to carry on with the Raiders. The former Dolphins and Giants DC interviewed twice with the Jaguars for their head coaching vacancy. Jacksonville ultimately hired Liam Coen, and in the wake of that move Graham emerged as a prime candidate for the team’s D-coordinator position. Instead, the Jags will need to look elsewhere.
The Raiders ranked 26th in the NFL in scoring defense during Graham’s first year at the helm, but the unit made a jump to ninth in that department in 2023. Expectations were high for this past campaign as a result, but injuries along the edge in particular helped lead to a regression. Despite overseeing a unit which fell back to 25th in points allowed, Graham is set to receive an extended look.
Vegas requested one external interview (Karl Scott) with respect to potential outside replacement candidates, while also speaking with defensive line coach Rob Leonard. It will be interesting to see what happens in the latter’s case with what was a perceived vacancy now set to remain filled. In any case, the Raiders will have defensive consistency on the sidelines in 2025 provided Graham and the team can come to terms on a new arrangement.
Love this.
Maxx is going to like this move. This is smart of Pete to keep Patrick on board