Raiders' Antonio Pierce addresses relationship with Mark Davis amid job-security rumors

Shortly after the Las Vegas Raiders fell to 2-12 on the season via Monday's ugly 15-9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, The Athletic's Tashan Reed noted that Antonio Pierce’s failure to improve across his first full season as head coach of the Raiders could result in team owner Mark Davis dismissing Pierce early next month. 

Per Reed, Pierce spoke with reporters on Tuesday and said recent conversations he's had with Davis have been "positive." Pierce was subsequently asked if he thinks he'll hold onto his job through the offseason. 

"I'm under contract," Pierce answered. 

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio quickly pointed out that "Pierce wouldn’t be the first coach to be fired despite getting the impression" from an owner that he could be safe. Additionally, it's getting more difficult to believe amid the Raiders' losing streak that's now at 10 consecutive games that the club couldn't and wouldn't find an upgrade over Pierce in January.

Specifically, Las Vegas has routinely been linked in stories with former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel due largely to his relationship with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady. Some thought as far back as October that Brady wanted living legend Bill Belichick to eventually replace Pierce, but Belichick recently took over as head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. Meanwhile, Brady and Vrabel were teammates with the New England Patriots for eight seasons and remain close. 

Davis made it clear last week that Brady's "input is greatly valued and will always be valued" regarding certain personnel decisions. Logic suggests it wouldn't take Brady much time to convince Davis to give Vrabel a call, considering the 49-year-old is a one-time Associated Press Coach of the Year Award winner and will be one of the most coveted candidates of the upcoming hiring cycle. 

The Raiders should have an opportunity to earn a win when they host the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11) this coming Sunday. As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Las Vegas as a one-point favorite for that matchup. 

If, however, the Raiders fall to 2-13 before Christmas, Pierce could spend the campaign's final two weeks going through the motions as a dead man walking.