The Las Vegas Raiders are heading into their final game of the 2024 regular season and while the team is out of the playoffs, there are many questions looming over the franchise. The biggest question being what their plan is for the coaching staff.
Head coach Antonio Pierce has failed to impress this season and three of the Raiders’ four wins came against teams picking in the top 10 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Even though he’s only gotten one season under his belt, Las Vegas could be considering moving on. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini dropped some insight that should concern Pierce.
“The Raiders, Jaguars, Giants and Patriots are all heading into the weekend with some major decisions on the horizon,” Russini wrote in a Jan. 4 column. “For the Raiders, the uncertainty is real — 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.”
Can Antonio Pierce Save Job in Week 18?
It’s clear that owner Mark Davis is keeping his options open. He has not committed to Pierce but he also hasn’t tipped his hand that he’s going to fire him. It’s possible that Davis simply hasn’t made a decision yet.
Pierce appeared to have one foot out the door during the Raiders’ 10-game losing streak. However, the team has won back-to-back games, which could give the coach new life, but those wins came against bad teams playing backup quarterbacks.
In Week 18, the Raiders host the rival Los Angeles Chargers who are headed to the playoffs. They are not resting starters so Las Vegas will see them at mostly full strength. A win in this spot would help show Davis that the last two games weren’t just a fluke and more indicative that the team is headed in the right direction. It might not be enough to save him but it would certainly help.
Mike Vrabel Looming
Another thing that doesn’t help Pierce is that Mike Vrabel is available right now. He has a much better track record as a head coach and has a close relationship with Raiders part owner Tom Brady.
If he lets it be known to Las Vegas that he’d be interested in the job if it became available, that may be an avenue the team has to explore. The best comp for Pierce as a head coach would be Vrabel but he’s way further along. The Raiders may not want to wait around for Pierce to keep learning on the job and go with a coach who has proven he can lead a team. That may be enough for the Raiders to start over at head coach again.
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