The Las Vegas Raiders have a new coaching staff after bringing in legendary head coach Pete Carroll this offseason. However, Carroll elected to keep the incumbent defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, on his staff in the same role.
Carroll is the third Raiders head coach that Graham has served under, and he’s been impressed with what he’s seen thus far.
“I mean, anytime you get a chance to work with someone with that experience, that level of success, I couldn’t be happier with the experience going on right now, just in terms of to bounce ideas off of him and hear different ways of doing things,” Graham said, according to Pro Football Talk.
“It’s been really beneficial for my growth, if I’m being selfish. It’s just something really good and positive for me. And then the track record just, I mean, why wouldn’t you listen? I mean, you’ve got to listen. It’s been great. It’s been great.”
Graham also touched on what feels different with Carroll at the helm.
“Each season is so different,” Graham said. “Every season it’s 32 teams that have great optimism about the season. So, the thing I can say about the ’25 Raiders, we’re having fun out there, we’re learning how to practice at a high level in the vision of how Pete wants it.
“So again, there’s no certain feeling or anything, because the seasons are always different. But I just know that this group of men right here, they’re forming a bond.
“They’re understanding how it’s based on relationships here. And the biggest thing that we have to focus on right now — it’s not real, true football, but we’ve got to play with great effort.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.