The Las Vegas Raiders thought that they got this one right.
The promise surrounding Antonio Pierce was certainly on display last season, taking over as head coach for Josh McDaniels midseason and posting a 5-4 record. With the significant increase in energy the team showed with Pierce at the helm, the Raiders were advertised as a young, scrappy team that would, at the very least, be a tough out for opponents every week.
Clearly, that has not been the case, as the Raiders have fallen well below even the most pessimistic of projections this season. With the team sporting a 2-10 record, riding an eight-game losing streak and officially being eliminated from postseason contention after Sunday’s slate of games, the Raiders and their fanbase are in utter despair.
While not every issue regarding the Raiders is necessarily Pierce’s fault, the season hinged somewhat on his ability to grow into his role as head coach, effectively managing games and implementing a strategy on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately for Pierce and the Raiders, that has not happened. Take Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers, for example, when Pierce punted on fourth and one in Chargers territory during a one-possession game, only for Los Angeles to go on a game-winning drive. The season-long offensive issues have not helped matters. either, as inconsistent quarterback play and a nonexistent running game led to the firing of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy on Nov. 4.
It has now reached a point where Pierce’s job security is now being called into question by prominent figures and, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, there is a real chance that his first season as full-time head coach of the Raiders will also be his last.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty certainly that’s being felt on the part of the coaching staff,” Breer said after the Raiders’ Black Friday loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. “They’ve been given no assurances on 2025. There’s a lot of buzz league wide that Antonio Pierce could be one-and-done as a head coach.”
From TNF Nightcap—News and notes on the @Raiders coaching situation, Holllywood Brown’s timeline, and the @ChicagoBears tumultuous day. pic.twitter.com/XjYGyTkeA2
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 29, 2024
While Breer also acknowledged that the Raiders have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL and continue to play hard despite the lost season, the fact that the organization seems to be preparing for a situation where Pierce is out after the season is a telling sign.
Even more concerning for Pierce should be the growing impatience of owners, as the league has seen at least one coach be fired after or during their first season at the helm. Urban Meyer with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021, Nathaniel Hackett with the Denver Broncos in 2022, and Frank Reich with the Carolina Panthers in 2023 all were gone before the end of their first years. The Raiders also have a history with one-and-done coaching tenures, with the organization having fired three first-year head coaches in the last 30 years (Joe Bugel in 1997, Art Shell in 2006, Hue Jackson in 2011).
There is no question that 2025 will be a year of transition for the Raiders, with a new quarterback being the most pressing of several issues. As the losses continue to pile up, it is looking more unlikely that Pierce will be the coach to guide the Raiders into the new era.
