The AFC West was flipped on its head in 2025 after watching the Kansas City Chiefs dominate their divisional rivals for nine consecutive seasons. This season featured the Denver Broncos back on top for the first time in a decade with the Chiefs falling to third place and an early offseason start after a disastrous 6-11 showing.
The Las Vegas Raiders have tried their best to join in the upending but to no avail. Last offseason featured the hiring of Pete Carroll as head coach, but that was merely a one-year experiment, since Vegas is once again looking for a new leader.
Things could get interesting, however, if the Raiders can reel in the right head coach. Tom Pelissero has word that former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel will be interviewing for the job, and with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in the franchise's hands, Vegas could find itself on a lucky streak going into 2026.
McDaniel's record as a head coach in Miami was 35-33 overall after four seasons. The former San Francisco offensive coordinator was hired to head up a high-octane offense with Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, De'Von Achane, and more, but after leading the league in yards in his second season, that total fell to 26th overall this season. Of course, Miami's front office did McDaniel no favors, while injuries also played a major role, which is why McDaniel remains a favored optiion in the head coaching carousel.
The Raiders are doing their best to flip the AFC West script in 2026 as they search for a new head coach.
Having the No. 1 pick in this spring's draft also has to be a major asset working in the Raiders' favor. That choice is expected to be Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who has his team on the verge of a national championship. He's become the face of the greatest success story in recent college football history. Together with someone like McDaniel, Raiders' fans would have real reason to hope for organizational change.
The Raiders haven't finished first in the AFC West since 2002, with only two seasons of 10 or more wins since that time. They haven't won a single playoff game in that entire span of 23 years, which makes the Raiders one of the NFL's most consistently miserable fan bases, and it's a steep fall from the golden era from the late-'70s to the early-'80s.
The Dolphins are looking at several new candidates themselves after letting McDaniel go. Jeff Hafley, the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, is getting a long look. L.A. Rams DC Chris Shula, Jacksonville Jaguars DC Anthony Campanella, San Francisco 49ers DC Robert Saleh, L.A. Chargers DC Jesse Minter, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski are among those in play as well.
As for the Raiders' search, McDaniel joins a long list that also includes Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. Some of the same names circulating in Miami have also interviewed in Vegas: Hafley, Minter, Kubiak, and Stefanski. The Raiders also have interest in Carolina Panthers DC Ejiro Evero and Denver Broncos coordinators Davis Webb and Vance Joseph.