NFL analyst predicts projected $40,000,000 QB as perfect fit for Pete Carroll's Raiders

After a dismal 4-13 season, the Las Vegas Raiders fired Antonio Pierce and hired former Super Bowl-winning coach Pete Carroll to lead the team. The 73-year-old has been handed the unenviable task of rebuilding the roster and helping the franchise end its five-year wait for a playoff appearance.

Carroll has all the tools at his disposal to complete the turnaround quickly. The Raiders are heading into the offseason with $95 million in cap, the second-most in the league, trailing only the New England Patriots and their $125 million war chest. Las Vegas also has the sixth pick in the 2025 NFL draft and could take a quarterback with it.

However, NFL analyst Nate Tice doesn't believe the Raiders will spend their first-round pick on a new signal-caller. On the "Football 301" podcast, Tice claimed that he expects Las Vegas to sign a quarterback in free agency. He touted the franchise as the frontrunner to sign Sam Darnold and hand him the lucrative $40 million-per-year deal he's reportedly seeking.

"I think [Sam] Darnold's the guy that makes sense for them," Tice said Friday. "I think they go with a vet. You don't sign Pete Carroll as your head coach to do a full long kind of rebuild and really revamp it.

"He's more of a reload kinda head coach to me. Not that this team is reloading for much. They signed Chip Kelly [as the offensive coordinator and] I don't think Russell Wilson is great for Chip Kelly's offense. So that's why I am thinking they are the Darnold team. They have the money for it."

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Sam Darnold stats: QB's sensational season has put him on Raiders' radar

Sam Darnold signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings to mentor J.J. McCarthy and step in if the rookie quarterback struggled in his debut year. However, he was promoted to the starting quarterback role after the former Michigan Wolverines star suffered a meniscus tear in his preseason debut.

Darnold exceeded all expectations and led the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season record with his exceptional performances. He finished the season with 4,319 passing yards and 35 passing touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 212 yards and a touchdown on 67 carries.

The 27-year-old used the opportunity to turn himself into the most coveted veteran quarterback in the 2025 offseason. He expected to receive offers worth around $40 million per season from teams desperate for a new signal-caller.

The Vikings are still pondering whether they should bring back Darnold after his incredible year or pivot back to their original plan of banking on McCarthy. However, the Raiders can take the decision off their hands by offering the quarterback a lucrative deal.