Raiders' Antonio Pierce Revealed Blunt Reason For Major Decision

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce made some sweeping changes on his staff this season, and now we know the reason why.

Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce reacts against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce made a rather major midseason decision this month, opting to fire offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

He also canned quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello and offensive line coach James Cregg.

The moves were certainly jarring, as it's rare to see that many staff changes occur during the middle of a season. But Pierce was not satisfied, so he opted to make some sweeping decisions.

During Las Vegas' Week 11 meeting with the Miami Dolphins, CBS broadcaster—and former NFL kicker—Jay Feely revealed why Pierce chose to make those moves.

“I give Antonio Pierce a lot of credit because it’s not easy as a first-time head coach to make a decision halfway through your first season and say ‘I’m going to fire my offensive coordinator; I’m going to fire my quarterbacks coach and my offensive line coach,'" Feely explained. "He was pretty transparent with us. He said because I want to be wearing these colors next year and he felt like now was the time that he needed to make that move.”

So, essentially, Pierce wasn't going to let the supposed ineptitude of other members of the coaching staff negatively affect his future.

It's hard to blame Pierce for his forward thinking.

The 46-year-old had previously been serving as the Raiders' linebackers coach in 2023 before replacing Josh McDaniels as head coach midway through the year.

Las Vegas went 5-4 and showed clear improvement under Pierce's direction, which prompted Raiders players to openly campaign for owner Mark Davis to retain him.

That is exactly what Davis decided to do, but Las Vegas has gone just 2-8 in Pierce's first full season at the helm.

The Raiders' rough 2024 showing has many wondering if Pierce will be back for next year, and apparently, Pierce is concerned about the same thing.

Funny enough, Las Vegas would actually be better off losing out for the rest of the season to ensure itself of a higher draft pick, but going 2-15 could also have major consequences for Pierce.

Pierce almost certainly deserves another chance, as he was not exactly given a great roster to work with this year.

We'll see what the Raiders decide to do in the offseason.

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