Antonio

Pierce

It turns out that not being told anything different yesterday didn’t actually mean much. Pierce, who went 5-4 as an interim coach last year, went 4-13 in 2024 with a roster that had almost no offensive upside. The little it did have walked out the door midseason when the team parted with Davante Adams in a trade to the Jets. Pierce was often bafflingly conservative as a game manager, giving Daniel Carlson 40 field-goal opportunities, and spoke after the season about not trusting his gut when it came to starting Aidan O’Connell over Gardner Minshew. The Raiders got a little scrappier after installing Scott Turner at offensive coordinator after the bye, but ultimately neither side of the ball played above their meager talent levels. It’s not Pierce’s fault the Raiders weren’t a winner, the seeds of that were sewn several years ago. But he clearly wasn’t elevating them either. Pierce’s future is an open question at this point as the NCAA has banned him from coaching through the year 2032 as part of a show-cause penalty against Arizona State. He may resurface as a defensive coordinator or, more likely, a linebackers coach on an NFL staff.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Pierce laid out his plans for the Raiders’ future after his team put the finishing touches on a 4-13 season with a 34-20 loss to the Chargers in Week 18. Pierce hasn’t heard anything regarding his future, but we wouldn’t be so quick to assume the team will retain him in 2025. That said, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that Pierce’s job could be safe, as he and owner Mark Davis have had “regular conversations” about the team’s future. The Raiders are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback, something they never attempted to acquire in Pierce’s first full season with the team. After dismissing three coaches since 2021, it’s possible Davis opts to stay patient with Pierce and give him a chance to construct a legitimate offense this offseason.

The Raiders’ lack of a viable starting quarterback, per Schefter, is not considered Pierce’s fault. Pierce, meanwhile, is confident he will return in 2025 for another season at the helm in Vegas. Pierce’s Raiders in 2024 have been solid on defense, allowing the eighth fewest yards and ranking 20th in yards per play allowed entering Week 18. They have been awful on offense, with only the Browns sporting a lower EPA per play than Vegas through Week 17. Schefter’s report suggested Pierce could get one more shot to turn things around in 2025.

Nothing has been finalized, but this has been the drumbeat around the Raiders all season despite the current two-game winning streak they ride. The piece mention’s minority owner Tom Brady’s role in wanting to turn things around. Most ominously, the piece notes: “Of the three players -- Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs and Crosby -- whom Davis leaned on while deciding to fire former head coach Josh McDaniels last season and eventually keep Pierce, only Crosby remains.”

When questioned about the future of Pierce, Davis said, “I don’t even want to talk about that right now.” Pierce went 5-4 as the Raiders’ interim coach last season. The team’s decision to hire him as their head coach last offseason was partly driven by players — most notably Maxx Crosby and current Jets receiver Davante Adams. The inspired play the Raiders showed in their first nine games with Pierce last season is all but gone. Injuries to the defense and no quarterback of note hasn’t done him any favors, but the 2-11 Raiders currently ranked 27th in points per game, 30th in points allowed, and are among the worst rushing teams in the league. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Raiders decided to move on from Pierce after one season. Currently set to hold a top-five draft pick, a complete overhaul could be in order with a franchise quarterback likely to be drafted next spring.

In Gutierrez’s exact words, GM Tom Telesco and HC Antonio Pierce have the signoff “to make a move, any move ... so long as it makes sense.” The buzz around Las Vegas eying the quarterbacks of this year’s draft class has been prevalent all offseason. There were previously reports that the team was hyper-focused on the position at the NFL Combine. Pierce even told reports that he doesn’t want a “Band-Aid” at quarterback. It’s clear the team wants an upgrade over Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew for 2024. What remains to be determined is how much they are willing to spend to land a top passing prospect. Currently sitting at No. 13 in the draft, Telesco will have to move up to get one of the top four prospects on most boards. If not, the Raiders could take a cheaper shot on Oregon’s Bo Nix or Washington’s Michael Penix.

The Raiders are widely believed to be one of the more quarterback-hungry teams this offseason. With Jimmy Garoppolo expected to be cut early into the offseason and second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell profiling more as a career backup, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier this month that they could make “a potential move up in the draft” to secure a young signal-caller, which will likely be required of the team that currently holds the No. 13 overall pick in April’s draft. If the Raiders don’t move up in the draft, they’ll want to make sure they go as in-depth as possible on quarterbacks outside the consensus top four to ensure they don’t take a massive reach on a quarterback they hope will be the cornerstone of their franchise for years to come.

Vegas is also interviewing former Bears OC Luke Getsy to run the offense. Van Pelt was surprisingly fired after the Browns offense caught fire with Joe Flacco under center over the regular season’s final month. Whoever lands the Raiders offensive coordinator job will probably be tasked with implementing a run-first offense under head coach Antonio Pierce.

Per Rapoport, most of the coaches on the offensive side of the ball will not be retained. Hardegree took over the offense after head coach Josh McDaniels and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi were fired mid-season. Having removed the interim tag from his title, newly minted head coach Antonio Pierce will now be tasked with filling out his staff on offense.

Pierce drew the support of fans and players alike after he went 5-4 in his interim head coaching role for the Raiders. The Raiders were 3-5 when Pierce took over and played a far more inspired brand of football after Josh McDaniels was let go. Pierce’s most outspoken reporter was EDGE Maxx Crosby, who hinted he would request a trade if the team did not bring Pierce back for the 2024 season. Pierce becomes the fourth head coach to be hired by the Raiders since 2015, and brings with him years of defensive pedigree as a former linebacker from 2001 to 2009. The Raiders still need to secure a general manager, but their head coach is now in place.