The Las Vegas Raiders made several massive changes to the organization this offseason when they fired head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco. To replace them, the team hired Pete Carroll and John Spytek, both of whom drew rave reviews from others in NFL circles.
Raiders starting cornerback Jack Jones was asked what he thought about Carroll on Monday morning’s episode of “Good Morning Football” on NFL Network. While Jones was signed by Las Vegas during coach Pierce’s tenure, he had plenty of positive things to say about his new coach. “I’m excited for what he’s got coming up for the season,” said Jones about Carroll.
“He brings the energy. … He doesn’t show his age, he acts young. He brings the excitement, that’s what teams want.” Jones is still under contract for the Raiders this season but plenty of people have floated the idea that he could be traded this offseason if the new regime is not a fan of his high-risk, high-reward playing style. However, Jones grew up watching Carroll’s college teams and wouldn’t want to pass up the opportunity to play for him. “I grew up in the (Los Angeles) area, so I always watched (U)SC and UCLA,” said Jones.
“Playing for Pete Carroll is gonna be like, I don’t know, kind of like a dream come true.” In 2024, Jones played in every game for Las Vegas and totaled an impressive 16 pass deflections, three interceptions, 69 tackles and a defensive touchdown. He may have value as a trade chip, but perhaps Jones is most valuable to the Raiders right where he is, playing hard for a coach that can motivate him.