Las Vegas Raiders Fire Special Teams Coach After Disastrous Performance

Special teams errors, including a blocked punt and missed field goal, contributed to the Raiders’ loss to the Broncos on Thursday.

Head coach Pete Carroll of the Las Vegas Raiders reacts during a game against the Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Nov. 6, 2025. Tyler Schank/Getty Images

Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season began with a Thursday Night Football contest between AFC West rivals Denver and Las Vegas. It was an ugly contest that saw just 17 total points, with Denver prevailing 10–7 amid numerous errors by the Raiders’ special teams unit.

The next day, head coach Pete Carroll announced the firing of special teams coordinator Tom McMahon and said assistant special teams coordinator Darius Swinton II would assume McMahon’s duties on an interim basis.

“Earlier today, we made the tough decision to relieve Tom McMahon of his duties as special teams coordinator,” stated Carroll. “I have a great amount of respect for Tom and the work that he has done in this league, but we have decided to move in a different direction. ... We are grateful for Tom and his work here with the Raiders and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”

A single game wouldn’t normally cost a coach his job, but Thursday’s contest was about as bad as it could get for the Raiders’ third phase of the game. A couple of special teams errors cost the Raiders, perhaps, six points in a game they lost by three.

The first major blunder came late in the third quarter with the score tied 7–7. Facing a fourth and 16 deep in their own territory, Vegas punter AJ Cole had his punt blocked, which was then recovered by Denver at Vegas’s 12-yard line. Even though the Broncos could muster nothing on their next drive—ending with a net of negative-two yards—Denver was already in prime position for a go-ahead field goal attempt, which it converted.

That made the score 10–7. Then, with less than five minutes left in the game, the Raiders were set up for a 48-yard field goal attempt to tie it at 10. However, kicker Daniel Carlson missed it wide right, which seemingly deflated the entire team. Denver would regain possession and control the ball for the rest of the game, running the clock out. The result pushed the Broncos to an NFL-best 8–2, dropped the Raiders to 2–7, and, ultimately, cost McMahon his job.

That game was a microcosm of both Cole’s and Carlson’s struggles this year, with McMahon being the fall guy. Cole, a three-time Pro Bowler, two-time First-Team All-Pro, and holder of the all-time NFL record with 48.6 yards per punt, has punted well below his standards this year. He’s one of only two punters who has had multiple kicks blocked this season, and the Raiders’ yards per punt average of 44.3 is fifth worst in the NFL. The team’s net yards per punt of 35.3 is even worse, ranking second lowest in the league.

Carlson has also struggled despite being a former First-Team All-Pro. He’s taken every kick for the Raiders this year, and as a team Vegas has converted just 75 percent of field goal attempts, which is fifth worst in the league. In terms of extra point attempts, the Raiders have the sixth lowest conversion rate at 91.7 percent. Carlson, who made a career high of 94.3 percent of his field goal attempts in 2020, has seen his percentage drop every season since then.

The Raiders’ coverage units have also been disappointing. Vegas is allowing 27.2 yards per kick return, which is the sixth most in football, while just eight teams are giving up more yards on punt returns than the Raiders’ 13.4. Las Vegas is also just one of seven teams that has allowed a punt return touchdown this season, courtesy of Jaylin Lane of the Washington Commanders taking one back 90 yards for a score in Week 3.

The one bright spot under McMahon’s guidance was Las Vegas’ own kick return unit. The Raiders are averaging 28.7 yards on kick returns, second best in the NFL, but that wasn’t enough for the coach to keep his job.

McMahon had been with the Raiders since 2022 and has led special teams units in the NFL since 2009, coaching for five teams. He’s spent over 30 years in the coaching ranks, including in high school and college.

His replacement, Swinton, was in his third season with Vegas as a special teams assistant. He has two years of experience leading NFL special teams units and has 15 years total of NFL experience. He and McMahon had worked together previously with two teams. McMahon was the special teams coordinator for the St. Louis Rams (2009–2011) and the Kansas City Chiefs (2012), with Swinton working under him as the special teams quality control coach at both locations.