Report reveals Raiders’ stance on potential Antonio Pierce firing
Nov 12, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce enters the field for warm up against the New York Jets at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
A new report is further reinforcing the view that Antonio Pierce is in serious danger of losing his head coaching job.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Saturday that the sense around the league is that Pierce’s future as head coach “remains in serious doubt.” Pelissero notes that Raiders owner Mark Davis has sought the opinions of many, including minority owner Tom Brady, as he mulls a decision on Pierce.
Brady has ties to former Patriots teammate Mike Vrabel, who is expected to be one of the most in-demand coaching candidates of the cycle.
The Insiders on @NFLGameDay Kickoff with @MikeGarafolo and @TomPelissero: #Patriots still view Jerod Mayo as their leader; #Giants have two key (and separate) decisions to make; Future of #Raiders coach Antonio Pierce is in doubt. pic.twitter.com/ZmTwXVzmCs
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 28, 2024
Pierce got the Raiders job off the back of a 5-4 interim stint in 2023. He has not been able to build off that, and the team sits at 3-12 entering Week 17. Speculation has been growing for weeks to suggest he is unlikely to be brought back for another year, though the decision has not been made yet.
The Raiders are in dire need of some stability, and this is a big offseason for them. Bringing in a franchise quarterback will also be a big priority unless they are really convinced by Aidan O’Connell. As it stands, the franchise does not have the strongest foundation to build off of, and they may regret rushing into the Pierce hire a year ago.