Mark Davis

Raiders Fallout: Davis, Garoppolo, Brady

November 1st, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders made headlines early this morning when they fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. While the midseason shakeup may have come as a surprise to some, it probably didn’t shock many of the team’s veterans.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, owner Mark Davis had meetings with veteran players over the past week to better understand the team’s culture (or lack thereof). Albert Breer of SI.com echoes that report, noting that Davis was well aware of the players’ grievances. Even before the recent meetings, the firing started to feel “inevitable” within the organization, according to Breer. Davis was becoming increasingly “volatile and angry” with the team’s inconsistencies, and that ultimately led to his decision.

McDaniels was also aware of the problems in his locker room. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the coach allowed players to raise their issues during a team meeting last week. Josh Jacobs, Maxx Crosby, and Davante Adams were among the veteran players who spoke up, with the latter also expressing his discontent following Monday’s loss to the Lions.

Breer has more details on what led to the eventual firings. There was a “particularly aggressive” postgame meeting between Davis and his staff after the Raiders beat the Packers in Week 5. Despite the win, the owner caught the attention of many because he was “so angry,” and his “reaction created an uneasy feeling” with coaches and scouts.

More notes out of Las Vegas…

The “disconnect” between Davis and McDaniels/Ziegler surrounding the Raiders quarterback situation played a major role in the dismissals, according to Dianna Russini, Vic Tafur, Tashan Reed, and Larry Holder of The Athletic. The decision that played the most significant role in the firings was when veteran Brian Hoyer started over rookie Aidan O’Connell in Week 7. Breer provided more context on that decision, noting that the Raiders believed Hoyer’s veteran game management would be advantageous against the Bears, who were rolling with a rookie of their own. Some coaches believed that O’Connell should get the call, and Hoyer proceeded to throw a pair of interceptions in an eventual loss.
According to Tafur, Davis had issues with Ziegler’s handling of the position before this season. The owner wasn’t a proponent of the extension that the GM gave to Derek Carr, and the accompanying no-trade clause meant the organization ultimately let the franchise quarterback walk without receiving any compensation. Ziegler didn’t do himself any favors by handing Jimmy Garoppolo $33MM in guaranteed money. The oft-injured QB later failed his physical and ultimately required surgery, and he’s proceeded to toss nine interceptions in his six games. The GM also might regret his decision to not target a rookie and spend the money elsewhere; per Tafur, the Raiders only liked Bryce Young heading into the draft.
Davis will now have a difficult choice to make on Garoppolo, and it goes beyond the decision to start O’Connell in Week 9. As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes, it makes most sense for the organization to cut the veteran QB as soon as possible. Garoppolo has $11.25MM in injury guarantees that are due in March of 2024. The team could cut him after the Super Bowl and before the guarantee vests, but they’d be risking the QB suffering an injury during an upcoming game or practice.
Tom Brady isn’t yet an official part-owner of the Raiders, but the future Hall of Famer will be involved in the HC and GM hiring process, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. Of course, Brady has a relationship with both McDaniels and Ziegler, with the trio having won many Super Bowls together during their time in New England.

Owners Not Expected To Approve Tom Brady’s Raiders Stake At Meetings

October 5th, 2023 at 1:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

In place for months, Tom Brady‘s agreement to buy a Raiders stake remains on hold ahead of a crucial point. The next round of NFL owners’ meetings are set to begin Oct. 17, and the Washington Post’s Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala report Brady’s purchase is unlikely to be ratified at that point.

Brady’s stake of the franchise is believed to be between five and 10%, according to Maske and Jhabvala, who report owners have issues with the discounted price Mark Davis is offering the recently retired quarterback. Although minority pieces of a sports franchise are frequently sold for discounted rates — due to limited partners’ minimal contributions in franchise operations — the Post reports Davis may be offering Brady an approximate 70% discount to join his ownership group.

Multiple issues are clouding the deal, but the stake price appears to be the lead item. The former Patriots and Buccaneers passer has said he plans to play a “very passive” role as a Raiders owner, and he was recently approved as a part-owner of the Las Vegas Aces, a WNBA franchise Davis owns. Twenty-four owners must approve Brady’s share of the Raiders. As of now, that is not expected to take place at the upcoming meetings, which run from Oct. 17-18.

Support does exist among NFL brass and the league’s finance committee for Brady’s Raiders agreement to be approved, per Maske and Jhabvala. Brady remaining involved with the NFL would understandably be enticing for many, though the all-time great is also planning to begin a career as a FOX analyst in 2024. Brady agreed to a 10-year, $375MM contract in 2022 to become FOX’s lead analyst when his playing career ended. Brady, 46, delayed that move for a year, intending to take time off before committing fully. But the finance committee is not planning to approve Brady’s stake at the above-referenced price.

Considering Brady’s popularity, it is certainly notable this many “no” votes are in place. The other issues holding up a deal are not known, but Brady agreed to become a Raiders part-owner less than a year after the NFL slapped the Dolphins with a steep penalty — loss of a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 third — for a tampering scandal in which the AFC East franchise eyed Brady as a player/owner and Sean Payton as head coach. That arrangement would have needed full ownership approval, which seemed unlikely given how Brady’s talent could have affected other teams under that plan. Brady serving as a Raiders player/owner — a scenario that has been shot down on multiple occasions — would also need 31 “yes” votes; that would also be viewed as unlikely.

Unlike last year, Brady has said he is done for good. The Jets were not planning to reach out to the future first-ballot Hall of Famer after Aaron Rodgers‘ injury. The Raiders have used fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell as Jimmy Garoppolo‘s backup, though the team did look into Brady as a player before his February retirement.

For now, Brady remains unattached. But it is not out of the question the remaining issues are resolved and the 23-year veteran signs on in a Raiders ownership-only role. The next round of meetings are scheduled for Dec. 12-13.

Raiders DE Chandler Jones: Mark Davis Is Holding A “Huge Secret”

September 17th, 2023 at 11:39am CST by Rory Parks

The odd situation between Chandler Jones and the Raiders does not appear to be any closer to a resolution. On September 15, the edge defender posted a tweet indicating that the team has not yet contacted him or his reps, though just last week he posted to his Instagram account what appears to be a text exchange between him and Raiders owner Mark Davis (via Tashan Reed of The Athletic).

To recap, in the days leading up to Las Vegas’ regular season opener, Jones posted a series of angry messages to his Instagram account alleging that the Raiders locked him out of the team facility, thereby forcing him to work out at a local gym. In those since-deleted posts, he went on say that he could not get in touch with either head coach Josh McDaniels or general manager Dave Ziegler and no longer wanted to play for the club as long as McDaniels and Ziegler remain in charge.

Then, in another round of social media posts that he later deleted, Jones — who missed several practices towards the end of training camp for undisclosed reasons — said that the Raiders had sent a member of the Las Vegas crisis response team to his home. The CRT member allegedly told Jones that he was in danger and needed to go with her.

Speculation has swirled that Jones is dealing with a mental health matter, though there has been no confirmation in that regard. The organization has, unsurprisingly, declined to comment about the situation.

In a new string of tweets, at least some of which have been deleted, Jones spoke more directly about Davis.

“I wish mark Davis told the ppl why I really can’t play,” Jones said (as relayed by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “I think I know why, but I want y’all to ask him. I’ll let him say it to the public not me lmao. I wish I could play with my brothers, but marky mark is holding a huge secret that only I know! That’s why I was asking for my protection sorry if I sound scared because I’m not lol, when I found out I was lol.”

It is unclear what secret Jones is referring to, or what information he discovered. In the above-referenced text exchange, the only substantive portion of Davis’ dialogue read, “I care for you the person more than I care for you the player.. I’m here for you should you feel the need to talk.. Man to man.. With respect..”

Jones was inactive for the Raiders’ Week 1 victory over the Broncos and is also inactive for today’s matchup with the Bills. At this point, it is difficult to say when (or even if) Jones will hit the field again.

In his most recent tweets, Jones added, “[Davis] can’t cut me, I have proof of his reps saying I’m under contract, and they want me on the team.. but not playing right now. Lol.”

Indeed, if the Raiders were to release Jones, they would be saddled with a dead money charge of roughly $13MM (though as a post-June 1 transaction, such a release would actually yield a modest cap savings on the 2023 ledger). Presumably, Las Vegas would like for Jones to return to action and try to live up to the three-year, $51MM contract he signed last offseason, a deal that looks like a signficiant misstep given the current impasse and Jones’ disappointing 2022 campaign.

It is fair to wonder if the NFLPA will become involved in this matter, particulary in light of Jones’ accusations against Davis.

Jon Gruden Does Not Intend To Settle Suit; Latest On Dan Snyder’s Role In Scandal

July 12th, 2023 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jon Gruden has resurfaced on the NFL radar, seeing the Saints bring him in as a consultant earlier this offseason. Gruden spent time working with Derek Carr, with the Saints wanting to install some of Gruden’s concepts in their Carr-led offense. Carson Wentz is also receiving Gruden pointers while training as a free agent this offseason.

But the veteran NFL coach is unlikely to land another top job in the league given the way his most recent HC stint ended. More details surrounding Gruden’s Raiders exit have come to light, via ESPN.com’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham, who report the team was initially aiming to retain the embattled coach before the second batch of problematic emails dropped on October 11, 2021.

Communication between Gruden, an ESPN employee when he wrote these seminal emails, and then-Washington president Bruce Allen included crude remarks about Roger Goodell, gay NFL players, female referees and Washington cheerleaders. The first email — made public Oct. 8, 2021 as a result of the NFL’s Dan Snyder investigation — included Gruden using a racist trope to describe NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith. In between that email becoming public and the wave of New York Times-uncovered emails three days later, Mark Davis planned to stick with Gruden. Before the second wave of emails emerged, Davis discussed Gruden’s status with current and former Raiders, per Wickersham and Van Natta, who report some wanted the embattled HC gone while others did not.

In between the Wall Street Journal report and the New York Times follow-up that ended up sealing Gruden’s fate, Davis and then-Raiders president Dan Ventrelle spoke with Roger Goodell and lead NFL counsel Jeff Pash. The two NFL bigwigs applied pressure on Davis to act, according to ESPN, with Goodell indicating more emails were coming. While Gruden coached the Raiders’ Week 5 game — a loss to the Bears — he submitted a forced resignation the next day. A month later, Gruden sued Goodell and the NFL.

Thus far on Gruden’s legal journey, he has enjoyed success. Gruden does not intend to settle this suit, according to ESPN, for any amount and aims to “burn the house down” to expose the league for an alleged conspiracy to remove him as Raiders HC. After Davis was nudged to remove Gruden as HC, the Raiders owner blasted the league and Snyder in a conversation with the recently dismissed coach.

The Gruden matter coming out of the NFL’s Snyder investigation helped induce the House Oversight Committee to launch its investigation into the Washington owner. The Congressional probe included Lisa Friel, the NFL’s special counsel for investigations, indicating the leak came from the Commanders and not the league. Denials from every accused party — except for Smith, whom ESPN asserts bragged about leaking the email that included Gruden’s racist trope to describe him — have followed. Gruden has long believed Goodell was responsible for the leak.

Snyder is accused here of leaking the emails to curry favor with the commissioner and to deflect from his scandals. The longtime Washington owner, however, is believed to have attended each of his team’s games during his suspension. Snyder’s July 2021 de facto ban was supposed to last “several months,” but he believed the punishment was to last only a month. With Snyder already receiving what most perceived as a light penalty (the $10MM fine, the short ban and the Beth Wilkinson investigation not producing a report), some owners believe he would not have been effectively forced to sell his franchise had he complied with the terms of the 2021 suspension.

Months later, an ESPN report that contended Snyder had gathered dirt on Goodell and a number of owners accelerated the push for a sale. Snyder and Philadelphia 76ers/New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris have agreed on a sale, and a ratification vote is scheduled for July 20. Snyder, who remains the subject of a second NFL investigation, has owned the NFC East franchise since 1999.

Mark Davis Drove Raiders’ Derek Carr Call?

December 30th, 2022 at 10:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders’ Derek Carr decision has become this week’s top NFL storyline, and it sets up an interesting trade market for a player who has been loosely involved in trade rumors for years. It may not have been Josh McDaniels‘ decision to move in this direction. At least, not right now.

McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler met Monday and Tuesday nights discussing their quarterback plan, and while a benching was mentioned as a possibility, Vic Tafur of The Athletic views it as likely McDaniels and Ziegler were planning to keep Carr as the team’s starter to close out the season. Mark Davis looks to have played a role in the decision that led to Jarrett Stidham being announced the starter and Carr leaving the team for the time being, Tafur adds (subscription required).

Carr has played for four six Raiders HCs, counting interims Tony Sparano and Rich Bisaccia, over his nine-year career. The GM that drafted Carr, Reggie McKenzie, extended him at $25MM per year during the 2017 offseason. While the Jon Gruden period brought steady trade rumors, the Raiders hung onto their starter. Carr became the longest-tenured starting QB in Raiders history and now owns the team’s all-time passing records — by a substantial margin.

McDaniels and Ziegler extended him this year, albeit with the much-discussed February escape hatch, but interviews with the ex-Patriots duo and other GMs this offseason curiously did not feature the Raider interviewers discussing Carr in a positive light. Coaching and GM candidates were surprised to hear Raiders officials’ Carr assessments during the job interviews, according to Tafur, who adds Davis has been lukewarm on the starter for a long time. Davis and former Raiders VP of player personnel Ken Herock led the coach-GM search this year, and the owner ended up letting McDaniels and Ziegler make the call on Carr.

The new Raiders power brokers settled on the half-measure extension — a three-year, $121.4MM deal that includes the out three days after Super Bowl LVII — and it looks like the parties will aim to capitalize on the narrow trade window. They will explore doing so despite Davante Adams seeking a trade to Las Vegas to reunite with Carr. If Carr goes, it will be interesting to see how Adams’ Vegas future unfolds.

The Raiders taking the opportunity to make the $40.4MM bonus — Carr’s full 2023 base salary and $7.5MM of his 2024 base pay — another team’s responsibility would cost them barely $5MM in dead money. That is quite the low sum associated with dealing a quality starter less than a year after the extension ink dried, but Carr agreed to the terms and landed a no-trade clause. That will protect the three-time Pro Bowler, who should have options once trade talks commence.

Davis was in place as the team’s owner when McKenzie drafted Carr 36th overall in 2014, and after several post-Rich Gannon misfires by the organization, Carr offered stability — albeit without giving his team a top-tier option under center — and durability. He has only missed two career regular-season games, but it looks like the owner is ready to move on. Carr’s inability to lead a game-tying drive against the Bengals in the wild-card round last season gnawed at Davis, per Tafur, despite the quarterback piloting four straight wins to help Bisaccia become the rare interim coach to lead his team to the playoffs. Bisaccia received consideration for the full-time gig, but Davis passed, leading the longtime special teams coach to Green Bay.

Carr remains a Raider partially because Gruden backed out of the Tom Brady pursuit two years ago, leading to some colorful Brady language re: Carr. Gruden viewed Brady as too old at that point, Tafur adds. Brady was preparing for his age-43 season at that point, and although the Raiders joined other teams in being connected to the legendary signal-caller, he ended up deciding between the Buccaneers and the Chargers. It is not certain the Raiders would have beaten out the Bucs for Brady’s services, but with McDaniels now running the show, look for Brady — ahead of an age-46 season he is not a lock to pursue — to be connected to the Raiders again.

Raiders Owner Endorses Josh McDaniels As 2023 Head Coach

November 14th, 2022 at 4:28pm CST by Adam La Rose

Yesterday saw the Raiders lose to the Colts in Jeff Saturday‘s NFL coaching debut. The result dropped Vegas to 2-7, and extended their losing streak to three games. Keeping in line with recent reporting on the matter, however, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels is not in danger of being let go in the near future.

The first-year Vegas bench boss has been “given assurances” by owner Mark Davis that he will remain in his position through the balance of this season into 2023 (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Jeff Howe). That comes after calls for a coaching change picked up in recent weeks, as the team has habitually given up sizeable leads and struggled to find consistency on offense.

“I like Josh. I think he’s doing a fantastic job. That’s why I hired him,’ Davis said, via Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We did an exhaustive search and found the person we believe is going to bring the Raiders to greatness.”

Vegas entered the season coming off of a surprise playoff berth, and moderate expectations given moves such as McDaniels’ hiring and the acquisition of wideout Davante Adams. While few projections had them contending to win the highly-regarded AFC West, the retool started this offseason with McDaniels as HC and fellow Patriots alumnus Dave Ziegler as GM was expected to produce better performances and results than the team has put together so far.

Davis added that he has “no issues” with McDaniels, who is reportedly on a four-year contract. The pair have routinely had postgame meetings with one another during the season, something which has occasionally fueled speculation that significant changes would be forthcoming. McDaniels did not make it through his second season during his previous HC stint with the Broncos – something which, of course, was followed by his last-minute backing out of the Colts’ job four years ago. Davis’ remarks certainly suggest that the 46-year-old will have a longer leash this time around.

McDaniels and the Raiders will next play the Broncos, a team which, at 3-6, has induced plenty of outcry regarding their own coaching hire from the offseason. Regardless of the outcome of that game, a long-term view is indeed being used in Vegas.

Raiders Facing New Workplace Misconduct Allegations

June 26th, 2022 at 5:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The list of allegations made against the Raiders regarding workplace misconduct has grown. A report from Briana Erickson and Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal details claims made by former employees across several departments against the team.

The allegations portray how high-ranking front office members “enabled a culture in Oakland and Las Vegas that left [employees] feeling unsupported, underpaid and at risk of retaliation if they voiced concerns.” Such claims, per the report, have been present throughout numerous lawsuits filed against the team over a stretch of time spanning a decade.

That period includes the recent departures of several high-profile team members, such as former president Marc Badain and his replacement, Dan Ventrelle. The latter was abruptly fired last month, after, as he claimed, he alerted owner Mark Davis to “multiple written complaints from employees that [Davis] created a hostile work environment and engaged in other potential misconduct.” Retaliation for doing so, Ventrelle has argued, was the reason his 18-year tenure with the franchise was terminated.

Notably, these new accusations name Ventrelle – who also previously served as the team’s general counsel – as part of the reason for the existence of “a troubling pattern of harassment, forced demotions and unequal treatment” of female employees. One such former worker is Nicole Adams, an ex-HR staffer who accuses Ventrelle of being “involved in every situation that happened, every situation of harassment, every situation of a hostile working condition.” Another remark a by women formerly associated with the organization categorizes it as “a boys club and the mob wrapped in one.”

The report further details the circumstances surrounding multiple settlements reached between the team and former employees in recent years, which have created the general sense amongst the employees in question that widespread misconduct is no surprise. It also indicates that the organization gave “unexpected” raises and bonuses to remaining workers immediately after Ventrelle’s dismissal.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy stated that the league won’t comment on the details of these allegations; Davis himself, meanwhile, remarked that “Eventually, I will have something to say about all of this, but not right now.” In the wake of these details, it would come as little surprise if the Raiders became the source of league attention similar to the Commanders in recent years.

NFL Front Office Notes: Ventrelle, Raiders, Patriots, Giants, Bears

May 7th, 2022 at 11:02pm CST by Ely Allen

Headlines were made yesterday when the Raiders released a statement from owner Mark Davis that team president Dan Ventrelle was “no longer with the Raiders organization.” Ventrelle had been promoted from executive vice president and interim president, after the resignation of Marc Badain, following the conclusion of the 2021 NFL season.

In an article from The Athletic, we learned that Ventrelle alleged he had been fired in retaliation for telling the NFL about concerns over a hostile workplace environment. Ventrelle’s statement was as follows:

“I have committed almost 18 years of my life to the success of the Raiders as General Counsel and President. I take that responsibility very seriously, which is why multiple written complaints from employees that (Davis) created a hostile work environment and engaged in other potential misconduct caused me grave concern.

“When Mark was confronted about these issues, he was dismissive and did not demonstrate the warranted level of concern. Given this, I informed the NFL of these issues of Mark’s unacceptable response. Soon thereafter, I was fired in retaliation for raising these concerns.”

Here are a few more notes from around the NFL, starting with another note from Sin City:

Despite the loss of the team president, Las Vegas has been busy filling out their front office staff. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer tweeted out that Las Vegas was working towards bringing in Patriots national scout Brandon Yeargan to replace Jim Abrams as the team’s new college scouting director. Also, Pete Thamel of ESPN reported the addition of Dolphins college scout Lenny McGill to serve as the new Raiders west coast national scout. Yeargan follows new Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler and new head coach Josh McDaniels from New England after making the leap to the NFL back in 2013. McGill has spent 21 years scouting in the NFL for the Packers, Broncos, and Dolphins. He’ll add the Raiders to his list.
The Patriots are looking to restock their losses with the addition of Buccaneers area scout Tony Kinkela, according to Neil Stratton of Inside the League. Kinkela made the move to the NFL after working with Tulane and Washington State at the college level. He’s spent 13 years in Tampa Bay’s front office, earning a Super Bowl ring during his tenure. Kinkela will be headed towards a more senior role in New England.
New Giants general manager Joe Schoen is changing things up in an effort to make the front office his own, according to tweets from Jordan Raanan of ESPN and Dan Duggan of The Athletic, with credit to Stratton from above. Following the 2022 NFL Draft, the Giants have announced that four high level staff members will not be returning: director of college scouting Chris Pettit, senior personnel executive Kyle O’Brien, senior pro scouting executive Ken Sternfeld, and senior pro scout/football systems analyst Matt Schauger. Pettit, Sternfeld, and Schauger are all long-time New York employees. Pettit has been with the team since 2004, Sternfeld since 2002, and Schauger since 2005. O’Brien had joined the team for the 2021 season. One move, first reported by Stratton, that will address the departures is the addition of Bears area scout Scott Hamel, who is expected to play a role similar to what O’Brien had held, according to Art Stapleton of USA Today.
New Bears general manager Ryan Poles is making adjustments to his staff, as well. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, director of college scouting Mark Sadowski will not return. Sadowski has been with the Bears since 2005. Not everyone from the existing staff will be headed out, though, as former-director of pro scouting Jeff King has been promoted to co-director of player personnel, a role he’ll share with Trey Koziol. King started with the Bears as a scouting intern in 2015, rising quickly through the ranks in the past seven years. He was instrumental in many of the Bears’ 13 unrestricted free agents signings from other teams this offseason. Koziol broke into the NFL as an intern with the Titans in 2008. He spent the last nine years in Kansas City, starting as an area scout before working up to assistant director of college scouting this past season. It’s a smart move from Poles to have two co-directors of player personnel: one, King, specialized in pro scouting and one, Koziol, specialized in college scouting.

Raiders’ HC Search Narrowing

January 9th, 2022 at 8:53pm CST by Ely Allen

The Raiders’ 2021-22 NFL season hasn’t yet come to an end, but, according to the rumors circulating in the NFL, Raiders’ owner Mark Davis is already locked-in on his preferred replacement hire for head coach. Davis hasn’t conducted an official search, but Mike Florio of NBC Sports confirms what most of the league is thinking: that Davis already knows who he wants.

As of right now, the hot gossip around the league is pointing to Davis pursuing current University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh, of course, had a previous stint in the NFL, coaching the 49ers for four seasons. Harbaugh’s record as an NFL head coach stands at 44-19-1. Harbaugh went to the NFC Championship game in all of his first three seasons and even made it to the Super Bowl in his second year, only to lose to his older brother and the Ravens. Harbaugh’s fourth year saw the 49ers go 8-8 and resulted in the end of his contract.

Since his departure from the NFL, Harbaugh has been one of college football’s more eccentric coaches, leading the Wolverines to a 61-24 record since 2015 and helping Michigan to their first Big Ten Championship since 2004. The upside of Harbaugh is apparent as he has shown the ability to win at both levels.

Current interim head coach of the Raiders, Rich Bisaccia, may have something to say about that, though. Bisaccia took over after Jon Gruden’s noisy departure and has kept the ship upright, going 6-5 and keeping the Raiders alive in the playoff hunt. Things could get interesting if the team rallies under Bisaccia to make some noise in the playoffs.

According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Davis, who also owns the Las Vegas Aces, made a splashy hire for their head coaching position, pulling Becky Hammon away from the San Antonio Spurs. What’s interesting is that he told Bill Laimbeer, the incumbent head coach of the Aces from the previous season, that, if Hammon declined to take the position, Laimbeer would be retained. A similar offer could be in the cards for Harbaugh and Bisaccia.

The unfortunate part of this situation is that, when owners make up their mind like this before a search can be conducted, it makes a mockery of the league’s Rooney Rule. Davis will surely make sure his franchise complies with the rule, inviting ethnic-minority candidates in to interview, but interviews haven’t even begun to be planned, and the outcome already seems like a foregone conclusion.

Regardless, all signs are pointing to Jim Harbaugh becoming the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders with his main competition being the current interim head coach. Bisaccia looks to to make Davis’s decision a little more difficult tonight with a win against the Chargers.

Raiders Have Not Begun HC Search

November 28th, 2021 at 10:47am CST by Rory Parks

Generally speaking, one of the benefits of parting ways with a head coach in the middle of the season is that it gives a club a head start on the search for its next HC. The Raiders, though, do not plan on capitalizing on that opportunity. Las Vegas is currently being run by interim head coach Rich Bisaccia after Jon Gruden‘s resignation in October, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports hears that team owner Mark Davis has not started the search for Gruden’s permanent replacement and may not do so until after the season.

It has been something of a difficult year for Davis. The Raiders got out to a 5-2 start, but the Gruden resignation — circumstances surrounding which infuriated Davis — and the departures of 2020 first-rounders Henry Ruggs and Damon Arnette cast a pall over the organization. Still, Davis has been pleased with how his club has responded to the adversity, and after a big win over the Cowboys on Thanksgiving snapped a three-game losing streak and put the Raiders back into the AFC playoff picture, he is not keen to focus on anything other than wins and losses at the moment.

One source told La Canfora that Davis, “isn’t ready to go there yet. He’s not ready to launch a coaching search. That’s not where he is.”

Davis can probably afford to be patient here. The Las Vegas coaching gig is a highly desirable one, so even if he waits until the end of the season to begin his HC search in earnest, Davis still has a good chance to land his top choice, whoever that happens to be. Indeed, La Canfora reports that interested candidates have proactively reached out to the organization, only to be rebuffed.

In addition to making a call on the next head coach, Davis will also need to decide GM Mike Mayock‘s fate. The most recent news on the matter indicated that Mayock — who reported to Gruden in the club’s previous, unorthodox power structure — has a legitimate chance to retain his job, though it’s fair to wonder whether a top-tier head coach will want to partner with a holdover general manager.

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