After an inspired finish to the 2023 NFL season with former player Antonio Pierce taking over for the fired Josh McDaniels as head coach, the Las Vegas Raiders looked like they might be on to something and ready to take the next step, especially if they made Pierce the new leader on the sideline.
Ultimately, longtime team owner Mark Davis listened to the fans and the players by removing the interim tag on Pierce’s position, which was a decision that many people agreed with and praised the team for making during the offseason.
Unfortunately for Pierce, the 2024 campaign hasn’t gone as planned for the first-time head coach, as Las Vegas hasn’t been able to show any signs of improving and being forced to trade superstar wide receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets earlier in the season.
According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, Pierce hasn’t done much to prove he’s the right man for the job in Las Vegas, and Davis is clearly upset with the way things have gone this year.
“I’m very disappointed, obviously. I want to see progress. … There’s no excuses. … You have to go through the season and then we’ll re-evaluate. Right now, I’m not in that position of evaluating anything going forward,” Davis said.
Owner Mark Davis on the #Raiders and HC Antonio Pierce: "I'm very disappointed, obviously. I want to see progress. … There's no excuses. … You have to go through the season and then we'll re-evaluate. Right now, I'm not in that position of evaluating anything going forward."
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) December 11, 2024
With the Raiders undergoing many changes at the head coach and in the front office over the past few years, Davis doesn’t want to start over again with a new head coach, but it doesn’t seem like Pierce is in the clear.
Only time will tell what the Raiders brass does next, but the evaluation process will begin once the season mercifully ends for Las Vegas.
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