HC Antonio Pierce addresses whether Raiders are tanking

The Las Vegas Raiders’ season appears to be sinking fast, leading head coach Antonio Pierce to offer a clarification that no one wants to have to make.

Pierce bluntly acknowledged Monday that the Raiders are “not a good football team” right now after a 2-5 start. He was adamant, however, that the organization is not tanking, and has not given up on any of its goals for 2024.

“There’s still a lot of football left. The season is not over,” Pierce said, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. “We’re not tanking. We’re not trying to lose games to do anything better for the future. Hell, we’re trying to be the best team we can and right now, we’re not a good team.”

Part of the reason for the clarification is the recent trade of Davante Adams, who wanted out. The Raiders granted his wish, leading some to question whether players like Maxx Crosby could also be available for the right price. That certainly does not appear to be the case at this stage.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, there is little reason to believe things are going to get significantly better. After benching quarterback Gardner Minshew, they have been forced to go right back to him after Aidan O’Connell suffered a fairly significant injury. Their next two games are against the Chiefs and Bengals, so things could be poised to get even worse.