Raiders rumor pinpoints potential favorite for head-coach vacancy

The Las Vegas Raiders might have their first favorite for their head-coaching vacancy.

The Raiders have conducted multiple head-coach interviews thus far, and they have either requested interviews or scheduled them with even more candidates beyond those.

But, on Saturday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Raiders are bringing Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero in for a second interview. Evero had previously met with the Raiders virtually.

"Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero will interview in-person for the Raiders head coaching job next week in South Florida, per sources. Evero met virtually with the club this week. He also has a Pittsburgh Steelers interview coming up," Fowler reported on Saturday morning.

While we can't say this is 100% the case, the fact that the Raiders giving Evero another interview is a good indication that, at the very least, he's got a legitimate shot to get the job. To take it a step further, the second interview could mean he's one of the favorites of all the candidates.

In this cycle, Evero has received interest from two other teams for their head-coach vacancies, including the Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Evero is in his second stint as a defensive coordinator in the league. He previously went one-and-done with the Denver Broncos before latching on with the Panthers in 2023.

Carolina's defense was putrid over Evero's first two seasons, but the team put up a much better showing in 2025 after the team made adding more talent on defense a point of emphasis during the offseason.

Despite his past struggles, Evero remains a highly-respected defensive mind around the league, which is why he's drawing the level of interest he is.

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