Leaving Las Vegas: Raiders fire head coach Antonio Pierce

Las Vegas went 4-13 in Year 1 of Pierce's tenure, which was poor enough for owner Mark Davis to fire him. 

Pierce was given the Las Vegas job after taking over as the interim coach for part of the 2023 season. He received support from numerous Raiders players, including Maxx Crosby, who started an entire movement around "HireAP" in the offseason.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Las Vegas players have still supported Pierce and voiced their opinions about the job that he did throughout the season.

Pierce admitted that he should have "trusted his gut" more often than he did during the year, and he will ultimately not have the chance for a do-over.

It would seem that taking a head-coaching job in a city like Las Vegas would be a hot commodity, but that will not be the case in this situation. 

The Raiders quarterbacks under contract for next season are Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew. They have no depth at running back position, and the best player on offense is rookie tight end Brock Bowers.

On defense, Maxx Crosby remains one of the game's best edge-rushers when he is on the field, but he's coming off a season-ending injury.

Another piece of information reported by Schefter is that Tom Brady, who is a limited owner of the organization, is expected to be part of a committee that will conduct a search for the next Raiders head coach.

Las Vegas was in position for a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft before two late-season wins. That more than likely puts them out of position to draft Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders.

There is a world where Davis hires Deion Sanders and then trades up in the draft and takes Shedeur. If that is the case, the offseason leading up to the draft will be crucial for the Raiders.