Who is Raiders 'Plan B' after Ben Johnson takes Bears head coach job?

The Las Vegas Raiders will now have to go in a different direction to address their head coaching vacancy. The franchise's top choice, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, is finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the Chicago Bears, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

With Johnson off the market, the Raiders will now have to turn to Plan B in their head coaching search. There is still a plethora of qualified candidates on the market, and according to a post from Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Jan.17, former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll seems like Las Vegas backup plan at head coach. Las Vegas held an in-person interview with Carroll on Jan.14.

The Athletic's Tashan Reed posted a similar sentiment after the Johnson to Chicago news broke on Monday. Reed posted on X that Carroll is believed to be the Raiders' new top option for their head coaching vacancy.

With Ben Johnson headed to the Bears, the #Raiders have to turn to plan B at HC. The sense is that Pete Carroll is now their top option, but other candidates include Aaron Glenn, Todd Monken, Robert Saleh, Ron Rivera, Steve Spagnuolo and Vance Joseph 🔗⤵️ https://t.co/rrKGMtI3OR

Carroll isn't the only candidate who is a contender for the job. Below is a list of other options that could be considered for the Raiders head coaching position, per Reed.

• Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn
• Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken
• Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh
• Former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera
• Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo
• Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph

Las Vegas has already interviewed Glenn, Spagnuolo, Saleh, Joseph, and Rivera. The franchise has also requested to meet with Monken, but a date for the interview has yet to be set.

Overall, it seems the Raiders will now pursue hiring Carroll as their next head coach. The 73-year-old served as the head coach of the Seahawks from 2010-2023, posting a 137-89-1 regular season with 11 playoff wins and a Super Bowl victory in 2013. Carroll is incredibly qualified and is a culture builder who would be a fantastic hire, but we'll see which direction Las Vegas decides to go after missing out on Johnson.

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