HENDERSON, Nev. — Antonio Pierce is still at the helm as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, at least for the time being.
On Monday, during a press conference reflecting on a tough 4-13 season, Pierce remarked, “I haven’t been told anything different.”
Although the organization has not made any official announcements regarding his future, his presence at this end-of-season event suggests some level of continuity. However, he acknowledged that discussions with owner Mark Davis and general manager Tom Telesco are necessary, with minority owner Tom Brady also likely to weigh in.
Pierce dismissed speculation about his job security being a concern within the organization, asserting that the worries seem to stem from external sources. “It’s not inside the building. So, to me, there’s nothing to clean up until I hear from inside the building,” he stated.
This indicates that Pierce will continue handling his duties, including the effort to keep most of his coaching staff intact, as he does not currently plan to make any changes.
The Raiders faced substantial challenges this season, starting with their lack of expectations heading into training camp. A series of injuries struck key players like defensive linemen Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins, and Malcolm Koonce. Additionally, the running game faltered badly, particularly after Josh Jacobs departed for the Green Bay Packers in the offseason, leaving the team with the worst performance in the NFL regarding rushing yards.
The struggles at the quarterback position also contributed to the team’s woes. While Aidan O’Connell has demonstrated his capability to lead the team to victories, questions remain about his ability to secure a playoff berth.
These issues indicate that the challenges facing the Raiders extend beyond coaching decisions, which may give Pierce some leeway from management. Importantly, he has solid backing from his players, who advocated for him after he led the team to a 5-4 record in his interim role last season.
Their support held strong despite the mounting losses; even following the Raiders’ 34-20 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers, players expressed their commitment to Pierce. Cornerback Nate Hobbs commented, “I feel like he’s responsible for the character of the team. His character alone at times carried this team. We bought in and believed in him.”
Upon taking over as interim coach, one of Pierce’s first decisions was to name O’Connell the starting quarterback. However, after the Raiders brought in Gardner Minshew on a two-year, $25 million deal, O’Connell faced competition for the position. Minshew was initially named the starter but struggled, leading Pierce to revert to O’Connell. Reflecting on the situation, Pierce said that he wishes he had chosen O’Connell from the start.
“I made that decision and obviously we made a decision to move on from Gardner after Week 5, I believe,” he explained, noting that the team’s trajectory was erratic following that choice.
O’Connell’s prospects for retaining the starting position improved as the Raiders secured two wins in the latter part of the season. This outcome has complicated the team’s draft prospects, as they will now select sixth overall rather than pursuing top quarterbacks like Shedeur Sanders from Colorado or Cam Ward from Miami, who are likely to be off the board before their pick.
“I think with Aidan, what you’re seeing is somebody that has finally played 17 games,” Pierce noted. “Not one time has he gone in as a Day One starter. He’s either been thrown into the game or bene tted from coaching changes or a benched quarterback. So what might it look like when he has a whole offseason as the guy?”
Although Pierce has not attributed the team’s difficulties solely to injuries, he admitted that losing Koonce before the season began was particularly painful. Koonce, who had a standout training camp, was expected to be a key part of the Raiders’ pass-rushing duo alongside Crosby but was sidelined after tearing his ACL.
“If there’s one injury that really frustrated and hurt me this year, it was Malcolm because he had a hell of a training camp, really, a hell of an offseason,” Pierce shared. The impact of Koonce’s injury was felt emotionally throughout the organization.
As the season closed, Pierce received encouragement from Raiders fans, indicating a positive rapport. However, he understands the pressures of being in a leadership position for the franchise. “When you take this job and when you are in front of this room and in front of the building, in front of the organization, the face of the organization, you take the good and the bad,” he stated, reflecting on public sentiment.
Looking ahead, the Raiders are in a strong position financially, boasting over $107 million in salary cap space. This gives the team considerable power to pursue impactful free agents in the upcoming offseason.
“Got to make dollars and cents for everybody, not just for the Raiders, but for the players as well,” Pierce said. “But these gentlemen, I thought all year, played their tails off, some deserving of a contract and others we probably have to move on from.”