Whether the Las Vegas Raiders decide to move on from interim head coach Antonio Pierce or give him the job full time will be one of the most important decisions the franchise makes this offseason, and team owner Mark Davis reportedly hasn’t given many clues about which way he is leaning.
A team source told Josina Anderson of CBS Sports that Davis “hasn’t tipped his hand yet.”
That source also supported Pierce and said, “I’m hoping Antonio gets the job. He’s a straight-shooter. He doesn’t mince words when he’s talking to people. He has great football knowledge as a former player. He has great energy everyday. He’s very consistent. He’s a leader. He knows how to relate and that’s what we need.”
Las Vegas fired Josh McDaniels after a 3-5 start to the season and gave the interim role to Pierce, who was previously the linebackers coach in just his second year coaching in the NFL.
While he is far less experienced than most head coaches, he was also a player for nine years for the New York Giants and Washington and won a Super Bowl during his career.
The Raiders responded to the move with two straight wins before losing three straight. They then won two more games in a row over the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs and were still in playoff contention until their Week 17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
In all, Las Vegas is 4-4 under Pierce and will finish the season with a Week 18 matchup against the Denver Broncos.
The former linebacker has also earned the support of some with the team, including star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby. Crosby advocated for Pierce to land the full-time job in an interview last month:
Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
From our interview with Maxx Crosby on The Insiders: The #Raiders star pass-rusher advocates for Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly to stay right where they are. pic.twitter.com/FXw82dAPIM
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero also reported on Saturday that “Davis has told people close to him that he’s increasingly impressed” with the job Pierce has done, adding that “several members of the extended Raiders family have reached out to Davis to express their support as well.”
It remains to be seen how that support will impact the eventual decision, but Pierce has clearly coached himself into any long-term discussions ownership and the front office will have this offseason.
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