Although it feels like a lifetime ago, it hasn't even been two months since the New York Giants parted ways with former head coach Brian Daboll. The firing came after a brutal Week 10 collapse in Chicago, where another double-digit lead was blown and rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart suffered a concussion.
The 24-20 loss wasn't exactly what did him in -- it was ultimately the three years of incompetence that cost him his job. Things had reached rock bottom under his leadership, and the once-touted brilliant offensive mind struggled to get anything out of his players.
But just because Daboll flamed out in East Rutherford doesn't mean he won't garner interest in this upcoming coaching cycle. Far from it.
And as Black Monday rolled around, the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons all parted ways with their head coaches, creating at least four interesting opportunities for Dabs to get his mojo back -- if not as an HC, then as an offensive coordinator.
You might think it counterproductive to hire a guy who was fired to replace a guy who was also fired, but welcome to the NFL. Perception changes quickly, and if a team is sold on a guy, chances are they're going to ignore the red flags and do it.
And now, in true NFL fashion, Daboll might fall upward, with reports surfacing that Tom Brady and the Raiders have fired Pete Carroll and are eyeing a little Foxborough reunion in Sin City.
Brian Daboll already drawing interest from Tom Brady's Raiders in 2026 coaching carousel
According to Pro Football Talk, there's growing noise around Brady looking to Patriot-ize the Raiders. He took a minority ownership stake at a discounted rate from Mark Davis in October of 2024, in the hopes he'd help stabilize the team.
He hasn't yet. In fact, he's done the opposite, but maybe it's because he doesn't have his New England guys with him. The idea is simple: hire Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and pair him with Daboll, who'll be the OC. Flores is expected to be an in-demand head coaching candidate due to his brilliant defensive mind.
The three have extensive ties to the Patriots' dynasty, with pre-existing relationships from their time spent together in the Northeast.
The trio’s shared roots in Foxborough run deep. Daboll was part of five Super Bowl-winning staffs across two stints, while Flores climbed the ranks from scout to defensive coordinator during 15 seasons under the Brady era. All three operated under the strict, detail-obsessed Belichick regime, and that mutual foundation could be the glue that holds a revamped Raiders power structure together.
If this reunion comes to fruition, it’ll be one of the most fascinating sideline experiments in the league. We're talking three Patriot disciples trying to restore credibility in one of the NFL’s most chaotic franchises.
For Daboll, it'd be a second chance to prove his offensive genius didn’t die in East Rutherford. Now that Carroll's out, anything's on the table. Giants fans, this is something to monitor for sure.