The Las Vegas Raiders are entering a new era with Pete Carroll as their head coach. Pete went right to work after joining the Raiders, acquiring Geno Smith to be the team's new quarterback. Now Carroll is set to make league history with his head coaching debut in Las Vegas.
Carroll will set a league record on Sunday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Carroll will become the oldest head coach in NFL history at 73 yards and 357 days old.
He has now surpassed Romeo Crennel (73), George Halas (72), and Bill Belichick (71) to become the oldest head coach ever.
The funny thing is that Carroll does not act like one of the oldest NFL coaches around.
Pete Carroll was already the oldest head coach in the NFL when he stepped down from his previous position with the Seahawks after the 2023 season. That, paired with Belichick's retirement from the NFL, temporarily made Andy Reid the NFL's oldest active head coach.
But now Carroll is back to reclaim his mantle.
Carroll will turn 74 yards old on September 15th, the final day of Week 2.
Raiders preparing for Week 1 matchup against Patriots
Carroll will begin his Raiders tenure with a winnable game against the Patriots.
New England should serve as a great measuring stick for Las Vegas in Week 1.
Both teams have frisky defenses with plenty of talented players. The Raiders have the star power with Maxx Crosby, but the Patriots have talented starters at almost every position.
They both also have talented playmakers on offense, but are lacking in depth.
The Raiders are likely to lean on rookie Ashton Jeanty and superstar tight end Brock Bowers in Week 1. Especially after Amari Cooper's surprise retirement shook up the team's receiver depth.
Las Vegas could dominate this game if Jeanty plays at a high level in his first NFL starter. Otherwise, this game could become a defensive slugfest.
The Raiders should be extra motivated to get a Week 1 win after seeing the Chiefs lose on Friday night.
Raiders at Patriots kicks off at 1PM ET on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
