The Raiders Owe $50 Million To Five Different Fired Coaches Next Season

The Las Vegas Raiders will have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. However, they'll be approaching that selection with a new head coach in tow. After finishing the season with a 3-14 record, the Raiders fired head coach Pete Carroll just one year into his contract.

Carroll's Raiders tenure started off promising enough with a road win over the New England Patriots, who ended up being one of the best teams in the AFC. But the Raiders could never build on that Week 1 victory. The team proceeded to lose 14 of its next 15 games before ending the season with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs—and even that game required a 60-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson in the closing seconds to secure a Raiders victory.

Carroll still had two years remaining on his deal, so the Raiders will owe him a buyout of $16 million next season, even though he's no longer coaching. That means the Raiders are paying five different coaches a collective $50 million next season, and none of them currently coach the team.

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Here's who else the Raiders owe money to:

Jon Gruden, $10 million

Jon Gruden had spent nearly a decade in the broadcast booth before returning to the sidelines for the Raiders. He had previously coached the team from 1998 to 2001, and his 10-year, $100 million contract in 2018 is one of the largest a coach has ever received. Gruden ultimately resigned on October 11, 2021 after a league investigation into the Washington Football Team (who were later renamed to the Commanders) uncovered several emails Gruden had sent to then Washington general manager Bruce Allen that used racist, misogynistic, and homophobic language. Since he had signed such a long contract, the Raiders are still paying him $10 million annually.

Josh McDaniels, $10 million

Josh McDaniels took over as the Raiders head coach early in 2022, signing a six-year deal. His first season ended with a 6-11 record, with Las Vegas dropping several close games. His second season didn't start off much better; the Raiders began 3-5. McDaniels was fired on Halloween night in 2023. He joined the Patriots for the 2025 season, his third stint in New England. He's had solid success as the offensive coordinator, so he'll be earning money from both the Patriots and Raiders, who will pay McDaniels about $10 million per season until his contract ends.

Antonio Pierce, $8 million

After McDaniels was fired, Antonio Pierce became the interim coach during the 2023 season. He won his first game 30-6 against the New York Giants. Coincidentally, the Giants had the second-worst record this past season. Pierce finished that interim season with a 5-4 record, and the Raiders officially named him the coach in January 2024. He made it less than a year in charge, however, as the Raiders went 4-13 and Pierce was shown the door. Nevertheless, he'll make $8 million next season.

Chip Kelly, $6 million

Las Vegas fired Chip Kelly in November 2025, just 11 games into the season. He was in the first of a three-year deal worth $18 million. Coordinator contracts are typically guaranteed, so he'll receive $6 million next season and $6 million in 2027.

Raiders owner Mark Davis is now on the hunt for the next coach of the team. At least he isn't shy about spending money.