The Raiders stumbled to a 4-13 finish, dropping a one-sided Chargers rematch after winning two straight. This dropped the Silver and Black out of the top five in the draft order, which will impact the team’s ability to select one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s prospect pool.
Antonio Pierce remains in place as the Las Vegas HC, but rumors about a potential firing persist. Many around the league expected an ouster after Week 18. With Black Monday upon us, Pierce has thus far avoided it. But a dismissal may be close. Pierce is “absolutely” not safe, per Outkick.com’s Antonio Salguero.
Mark Davis met with Pierce after the Raiders’ loss to the Bolts, and another meeting may well be on tap for Monday morning. The Raiders placed Pierce in a difficult position this season, outfitting him with a bottom-tier quarterback situation. Pierce had pushed for a monster trade-up for Jayden Daniels, and while the Raiders were most likely the team that sent the Commanders the only offer for No. 2 overall, a 13-to-2 move-up was never viewed as realistic. The team’s inability to land a better QB option looks to have created issues between Pierce and GM Tom Telesco.
A report in April indicated the HC and GM disagreed on a quarterback trade-up, with Pierce landing in the camp that one was necessary. He may well have been right, as the Raiders ended up shut out of the 2024 first round. They deemed target Michael Penix Jr. a player of interest, just not one they viewed as worthy of a trade-up. Brock Bowers‘ arrival looks good on Telesco’s resume, but the Raiders now need a quarterback in what appears to be a worse offseason to do so. They sit sixth in the 2025 draft, and supply and demand points to Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward being off the board by then. Another trade-up effort may be required if the Raiders want either player.
Pierce-Telesco disagreements do not look to have ceased after the Bowers pick. Pierce privately continued to express disappointment over the QB situation he was handed, Salguero notes, indicating friction between he and Telesco continued into the season. This could well end up keying a Pierce firing, which will obviously not go over well with the former linebacker-turned-HC given the hand he was dealt. That said, Pierce does not bring a tactical background and needs both offensive and defensive play-callers. He also fired OC Luke Getsy midway through their first season together. Will Davis give his HC the chance to hire a new play-caller on that side of the ball?
Players stumped for Pierce last January, as he had gone 5-4 as Vegas’ interim HC. This year’s 4-13 outing has him squarely on the hot seat. Minority owner Tom Brady also looks likely to snare some of Telesco’s decision-making power, with Davis expected to turn to the legendary QB-turned-announcer for help to fix the quarterback situation. Brady is also on track to have a major say on the HC matter, though his Super Bowl LIX responsibilities with FOX may interfere on the latter front. Despite Pierce making it into Black Monday (unlike Jerod Mayo), he may not end the day as the Raiders’ HC.
AP deserves another year.
Yep, get the Raiders another top 10 pick after next year then get a head coach that will be excited about the roster. Good call Blue
If they do keep him, they need to trade back this year in the draft and get lots of picks for next year’s QB crop.
No he does not….he is not a good Head Coach…if the Raiders would like to retain him at his original job that would be fine…he can’t coach as a Head Coach though
Blue you are correct.
AP was able to identify and clear “Business Decisions” while finding talent in the depth chart that never gave up. Instability at the QB position and injuries in general, didn’t allow for the team to develop an identity. Hence, the game plan was forced to change to fit the players available. The Raiders lost 4 games by a score or less, turning those 4 would have change the record to 8-9.
Many first year Head Coaches have started worse and have kept their jobs.
Raiders need a veteran HC and veteran QB.
Best option would be target Cousins and I’d hire Brian Flores.
Say no to Cousins, that guy is either hurt and not telling or just done.
Definitely put a physical on any Cousins acquisition, probably force Cousins to agree to reduced compensation/retirement if the injury is chronic. Cousins is very greedy and not a team player, so perhaps there’s no path to the Raiders or anywhere else.
Cousins sure….Flores is a Dumpster Fire
Yes, Kirk Cousins is available cheap. Atlanta will take a day 3 pick and throw in some of salary cap. Cousins would give the Raiders a couple of years to find a QB somewhere else (there’s been some great round 3, 4 and 5 QB picks, 6 and 7 round if you count Purdy and Brady).
Will Davis
Anyone drafting Ward high is making the same mistake the Colts did drafting Richardson. He doesn’t have the makeup to be a franchise QB. If Ewers declares they should trade back, get more picks, and draft him.
Bad roster, bad upper management, and no real QB for next year. Who realistically would want that job?
I know this will come across as racist, but let me point out. I am black… There were three coaching hires that everyone thought would be a disaster and have turned out to be so the Raiders, the patriots, and the Falcons. It’s crazy to me that amateurs like myselfare able to see something that the expert general managers apparently don’t. What did they think the results of these hires would be?
Kurt cousin was pissed off about them getting Michael Pence Junior so who know if he Was trying
For the Raiders to believe drafting a QB in the first round is the way to improve the team. That is crazy and the 12 year rebuild will continue.
50% of top drafted QB fail. Why risk the future for that. This franchise is a mess. Mark Davis needs to sell.