The 2025 season was an unusual one for the Kansas City Chiefs, as they finished with a losing record for the first time since 2012. A team that has grown accustomed to losing is the Las Vegas Raiders, who are in line to earn the number one overall pick in April's draft.
With that pick, the Raiders would surely go with a quarterback. Maybe that's Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, maybe it's Oregon's Dante Moore if he declares for the draft but either way, there's little chance the Raiders won't be drafting a quarterback number one overall.
What else is in the cards for the Raiders' future? According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, it's the Tom Brady Show in Sin City with the minority owner officially taking charge of the franchise and trying to turn the Raiders into what the Patriots were in the 2000s and 2010s. Brady's plan reportedly involves bringing in Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores as the head coach and hiring Brian Daboll as the offensive coordinator.
"There’s a rumor currently making the rounds that, once Brady rolls up his sleeves (while also wearing one glove and an expensive-ass watch), he’ll make the case for bringing in Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
As the chatter goes, Flores would be the head coach, and former Giants coach Brian Daboll would be the offensive coordinator. Like Flores, Daboll has extensive experience with the Patriot Way. Daboll was there for the first three Super Bowl wins of the Brady/Belichick era, and for two of the second trio of championships."
Tom Brady’s Raiders vision already feels doomed
Chiefs fans will find this comical for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, while Flores is an excellent defensive coordinator, his first stint as a head coach was mostly filled with drama. He finished his three-year stint in South Beach with a 24-25 record.
As for Daboll, Chiefs fans remember him as the offensive coordinator for the 2012 team that went 2-14. Sure, he had a nice run with Josh Allen as his quarterback in Buffalo and that led to him getting the head coaching gig with the Giants but Mendoza and Moore aren't Allen. He'll have to completely mold whichever quarterback the Raiders draft and, given how things turned out with Daniel Jones in New York, that might not be something for Chiefs fans to fear.
The Raiders are the only team in the AFC West that hasn't figured things out. The Broncos and Chargers hired proven head coaches, found reliable quarterbacks, and have solid defenses. The Raiders are trying to follow this formula too, but after the Pete Carroll-Geno Smith experiment failed epically, Brady is clearly trying to do things entirely his way.
Will this move pan out in Vegas? Or will the Raiders be doomed for yet another rebuild in a few years? Chiefs fans certainly hope it's the latter because that's far more entertaining to watch unfold.