It has been an offseason of flip-flopping for the Las Vegas Raiders. First, their trade agreement with the Baltimore Ravens for defensive end Maxx Crosby fell through. Now, they reversed their decision on quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan.
The Raiders own the No. 1 pick in next year's NFL Draft, and they are presumed to select quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is fresh from leading Indiana to its first national title and winning the Heisman Trophy.
In preparation for getting Mendoza, Las Vegas made a U-turn and hired Sullivan, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo on Tuesday
“Sullivan interviewed with the Raiders a few weeks ago. The team initially announced its coaching staff sans the quarterbacks coach. Sullivan was on his way to Rutgers to reunite with his former (Tampa Bay) Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano, but Vegas doubled back and moved to hire Sullivan. He’s now aboard,” reported Garafolo on X.
The 59-year-old Sullivan last worked in the NFL in 2024 as a senior offensive assistant of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His stint with the Raiders will be his fifth as a quarterbacks coach after serving the same role with the Steelers, the Denver Broncos, and twice with the New York Giants.
Some of the quarterbacks Sullivan has handled include NFL legends Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger and former Broncos star Case Keenum.
Las Vegas is eager to land a cornerstone signal-caller after another terrible campaign. Last season, Geno Smith, Kenny Pickett, and Aidan O'Connell took turns under center, but none of them was able to save the Raiders. They finished with a 3-14 record and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
Sullivan will have his hands full with the Raiders' quarterback situation, but getting Mendoza would be the perfect start for the veteran mentor.
