Even with a win Antonio Pierce has no guarantees he will be the Raiders head coach next season
The Las Vegas Raiders are about to play their final game of the season vs. the Los Angeles Chargers. Raiders have won two in a row and looking to finish the season on a winning streak.
While winning the last game will be great for team morale, it might not make a difference for the coaching staff. Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is on the hot seat after the Raiders have produced an ugly product on the field for most of the year. Mark Davis’s comments last month added fuel to the fire when he was non-committal to Pierce when asked by the media.
Before Sunday’s game, Diana Russini of the Athletic reported that Pierce’s future with the Raiders is uncertain even with a win.
I’m told nobody on the coaching staff has been given any guarantees about their future. Most around the league believe head coach Antonio Pierce is on shaky ground, and if he’s let go I would expect that Tom Brady, as a minority owner, will have significant influence on who the next head coach will be. (Though that doesn’t mean his immediate favorite is Vrabel, despite the fact they are good friends and former teammates.) It’s expected GM Tom Telesco will remain with the Raiders in his current position.
Davis has a tough decision to make: whether to rebuild or keep continuity. The Chargers should be playing their starters to help with the draft decision, allowing Raiders ownership to get a real evaluation of Pierce before the offseason starts.
In other Raiders links:
- Several Raiders are on the verge of reaching career milestones in Week 18: In this week’s pick-six, Levi Edwards deep-dives into the Raiders with a chance at career milestones.
- Mel Kiper Jr. has a message for the Raiders: ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr has a message for the Raiders if they want to snag the top two quarterbacks in the draft.
- Aidan O’Connell’s surge could upend the Raiders’ draft plans: ESPN reports that O’Connell’s performance since becoming the starter could change the Raiders’ draft plans.
