The inevitable front office shakeup of the Oakland Raiders has begun.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie has informed the team’s scouting staff that he has been fired, effective immediately. McKenzie reportedly turned down the opportunity to remain in the job until the end of the season.
#Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie had a meeting with his scouts today where he informed them he was fired, per me and @TomPelissero. He was given the chance to stay the season, but is not expected to do so.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 10, 2018
Widespread media reports on Sunday indicated that McKenzie would leave at the end of the season, but he and the organization haven’t bothered to wait it out.
Someone had to take the fall for a truly awful season in Oakland. More realistically, however, is the fact that despite McKenzie’s denials, coach Jon Gruden is running the show organizationally and was already putting together his own staff of scouts. McKenzie can now go find a job elsewhere where he won’t be essentially subordinate to his head coach. It makes sense for all parties to move on.
