The Las Vegas Raiders created a head coaching vacancy earlier this season when they fired Josh McDaniels. Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce stepped into the role on an interim basis, and he would be the man in charge until the team was able to hire one of the available candidates during the next hiring cycle. But they may not have to look very far, as there are players on the roster that are voicing their pro-Pierce opinions as the NFL regular season winds to a close.
NFL: Raiders Players Voicing Support For Antonio Pierce
(ICYMI) Maxx Crosby hopes Raiders retain interim head coach Antonio Pierce: “I’m sick of change. I’m sick of losing”https://t.co/getRVRtDSb pic.twitter.com/PLBCAg6uH8
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) January 6, 2024
The difference in the team’s performance, and their happiness, was night and day once Pierce took over for McDaniels. The Raiders immediately won the first two games under Pierce’s leadership, and the mood around the team and in the locker room was jubilant, as the players appeared to enjoy a sense of freedom that they hadn’t had in recent weeks.
The winning streak didn’t last long, as Las Vegas went nearly a month without picking up a victory. But two impressive wins over divisional opponents in the month of December pushed their record to 7-8, and was enough to convince at least some of the players that Antonio Pierce might just be the right man for the job.
Crosby Voices His Opinion On Current Situation
Embracing the Antonio Pierce mentality 🙌 pic.twitter.com/bv1lVtxitL
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) December 29, 2023
In just the past few days, two of the most high-profile players on the roster voiced their support for Pierce. First, it was Davante Adams saying that Pierce had his “vote”, and that much of the lock room felt the same way. Then, it was Maxx Crosby, who said that he supported the current coach “100%”.
Crosby went on to share some of his feelings regarding the topic:
I’ve made the playoffs one time in five years. It’s bulls—. And we’ve got to figure out what we’re going to do moving forward. And I’m sick of change. I’m sick of losing. I just want stability and f—ing consistency, and that’s all that matters to me. I want to win.
During his playing career, Pierce was best known for his time with the New York Giants. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2006, and was a part of the team’s Super Bowl run in 2007. Before arriving in the NFL as a position coach, he spent time with the Arizona State University football team as a linebackers coach and associate head coach.
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