While Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is believed to be “at or near the top” of the Raiders’ list of head coaching candidates, interim head coach Antonio Pierce continues to receive support from many in the organization. In fact, one of the team’s stars is even threatening a trade request if Pierce doesn’t earn the full-time job. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, edge rusher Maxx Crosby is expected to “explore a trade request” if Pierce isn’t promoted.
While many of Crosby’s teammates don’t have the sway to make a similar demand, the locker room is “publicly united” behind their interim head coach. The players believe Pierce has earned the opportunity to “continue building upon the culture and energy he built in Las Vegas this season.” After taking over for Josh McDaniels, Pierce helped guide the Raiders to a 5-4 record to end the 2023 campaign.
Raiders players have continually been supportive of their interim head coach ever since he’s taken over. Wideout Davante Adams told reporters that he’d “run through a wall” for his coach, and Crosby has been vocal about Pierce’s role in rebuilding the Raiders’ culture.
“It’s legendary,” Crosby said recently (via Schefter). “When you have the right culture, a guy like A.P. that embraces the history of the Raiders, it’s special. … A ton of legends [visit] consistently because the amount of respect they have for him. So it makes you, as a player, want to go out there and show who you are. You know what I mean? You want to be at that level one day.”
A Crosby trade request would obviously present a major story line heading into the offseason. The former fourth-round pick has turned into a star during his five seasons with the organization, culminating in a career season in 2023. Crosby earned second-team All-Pro honors this past year after finishing with 14.5 sacks, 31 QB hits, and a league-leading 23 tackles for loss. The pass-rusher is attached to a four-year, nearly $100MM contract that he signed with the Raiders in 2022.
This internal support for Pierce has led some sources to believe that the interim HC is a shoo-in to earn the full-time gig. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Pierce is the “leading candidate” for the job, with one source saying they’d be “blown away if Antonio weren’t the pick.” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo adds that owner Mark Davis has been impressed by Pierce’s ability to galvanize the squad.
Assuming the Raiders are serious about retaining Pierce, they’ll want to make a decision sooner than later. Per Josina Anderson, Pierce is set to meet with the Titans today about their head coaching job. After this news broke, Crosby was quick to tweet “#HireAP.”
However, there’s also a clear Harbaugh camp within the Raiders organization, an indication that the job could ultimately come down to the two candidates. For what it’s worth, the Raiders have yet to conduct any interviews for the job, and the organization is expected to hire a GM before moving on to their coaching vacancy.
However, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports points out that the organization should be wary of painting this as a two-horse race. If coaches believe Pierce or Harbaugh will ultimately be the choice, the Raiders may have a tough time getting these candidates in the building for interviews. Mark Maske of the Washington Post points out that the Raiders will still need to comply with the NFL’s minority interviewing requirements, which would require Davis and co. to “conduct in-person interviews with at least two minority candidates from outside the organization.”
Good.
Antonio Pierce believed in this team and the players and did well with the current roster. He should be given a chance to be head coach.
Good for him, Pierce deserves the job.
It’s one thing to gather input from the players and use that to make decisions. A coach should get input from the team on plays, game plan, schedule, free agents, and even draft picks. In this case the owner took advice from the team on the coaching staff and changes that were needed.
However, when the players start to make power moves like to “Explore Trade Request” if their demand is not met it’s a different situation. I hope that the owner is putting out feelers as to what the trade market value for a player who is flexing his dominance is. Might be worth striking a trade while the value is hot and eliminating a future locker room issue.
Yeah. Trade your best player on defense cause you decided to hire a different guy than your players want and who players respect and are willing to play hard for. That’ll show Crosby and the locker room!
Why should Crosby Adams any player free agent or draft pick play for LV if they don’t respect players wishes regarding head coach? That’s how you lose a team when you alienate your players.
Imagine if your boss hired a supervisor you didn’t like (mcdaniels) and as a result work suffered cause nobody liked him (raiders under mcdaniels).
Now imagine they brought in a supervisor who turned things around made work better and you enjoyed your job more (Pierce). I doubt you’d stick around if your job said f that guy and hired another loser you don’t respect and won’t work your hardest for. You’d also look for employment elsewhere.
Not one major corp (Fortune 500) makes a major decision by listening to a lower level employee. If an employee is disgruntled and creating issues, they can either leave on their own accord or be RIF (reduction in force). In the NFL “Exploring a Trade Request” is a clear indication of a disgruntled employee.
Maxx Crosby signed a 4 year $94 million dollar contract with $53 million guaranteed. This contract does not entitle him to determine the future direction of the team. He was a 4th round pick by Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock in the 2019 Draft. If the Raiders can get multiple picks for Mr. Crosby, especially if a 1st round is included, they would be stupid not to entertain the offer.
Also, FYI — Maxx Crosby, Josh Jacobs, Hunter Renfrow, Davonte Adams, and Austin Hooper will all likely be playing for another team next year. No matter who the coach is.
Jacobs, Renfrow and Hooper will most likely be playing for another team. Davante and Mad Maxx will be wearing silver and black.
Yeah Amazon is the peak of operating a business model when they won’t let employees form a union and the work conditions are horrendous.
FYI. Comparing any business to NFL MLB NBA is stupid. In sports leagues players aren’t workers. They’re the product. They’re what you’re selling to fans. They’re what is earning the league owners money. They’re what the NFL promotes. They’re not some low level janitor or assembly line worker.
Go ahead raiders. Piss off your locker room see how that turns out. Worked out well when Bill O Brien pissed off the Texans locker room and got rid of DeAndre Hopkins cause he challenged Bill O Brien. Worked out great for them for years.
So MathTeacher…. According to JC Tretter the NFL Players do have a Union, the NFLPA. Don’t know where unions came into the conversation, but the NFL is a business and it’s employees are union members.
As you stated the players are the product, it’s what the NFL owners promote and sell. As established, the players are unionized. It sounds like a business description is every sense of the meaning, which is probably why Forbes rates the NFL teams on its business index.
It’s probably a smart business decision to find out what your product is worth, get the most value for your product, and help raise the value of other businesses associated with yours. Also, as far as your locker room theory…. The Dallas Cowboys have not been to a championship game since 1995 and they are the most valuable team according to Forbes.
It’s not personal, it’s business. Welcome to Dallas Bill Belichick, win #329 will come happen in Dallas.
So while all of the other teams have interviewed candidates for both GM & HC positions, Davis hasn’t had 1 interview? Wonder why they always lose?
He’s trying to hire the GM prior to the HC. The last two HCs were hired first then the GM. That’s like you hiring your boss. Can’t succeed that way.
Still needs to interview candidates. DC already made a GM hire.
Right, but you need the hired GM in on those interviews. You don’t want to have the HC in on the GM interviews and the raiders do what they did the last two hires. Hiring the HC prior to the GM. We already saw how that worked out.
I haven’t seen an article where Mark has interviewed GM or HC candidates. Have you?
Yeah he interviewd the female who’s an asst to the GM
In Denver. He intwrviewd the chargers former GM and is interviewing the Asst GM from Indy today then Going to
Formally interview Champ Kelly. I don’t know why they don’t post on here. I get most of my info from the locked on raiders podcast. The guy on there is great. He has a daily radio
Show on raider nation radio too.
Thanks for the update. I see the other teams and whom they have interviewed just little about the Raiders. And yes I agree; GM 1st, then HC.
It would be interesting is the Titans gave him a crazy offer and he took and left the Raiders on his own.
Could Bears GM Poles resist an offer from OAK for #1 that included pick #14, a 2nd rounder, 2025 & 2026 #1s and Crosby?
Raiders staring over with a new Offensive focused HC & landing Caleb Williams might trump sticking with Pierce, who admittedly deserves a HC gig.
That’s a gigantic overpay for that pick, so I doubt Poles could resist. I have seen you do this on a couple of articles now, assume that you are a Bears fan, right?
Yeah that’s way out there. But 14, a 2nd, a 2nd in 25 and Crosby might work. Then you have to ask yourself if you’re the Bears is, Are we better in 24 with Fields and Crosby or just trading down a couple spots and taking Harrison and a OT later at 9? And what else do you get to only move 2 spots? The Bears need another edge badly and Sweat and Crosby would be awesome. I just don’t think the Bears are interested in moving back that far. I think the most they would move back would be to the Falcons spot.
What an unbelievably stupid self-sabotaging move that would be for the Raiders! Are you trying to construct the worst trade since 2000? This looks just like the Herschel Walker disaster for Minnesota.
The Panthers paid #9 a 2nd, a future 1st, a future 2nd and DJ Moore to move up for Bryce Young.
#14, a 2nd, 2 future 1sts and Crosby sounds about right for a bigger move up for a better prospect.
Yes, a Bears fan. Just wondering what the community thinks of different trade down scenarios, which I think is inevitable. However, not sure if they stay top three to draft Mayes/Daniels or go one more year with Fields. I definitely think Poles will add future firsts from a team that will pay up for Caleb, however much that ends up costing.
At this point I cringe and have Mack flashbacks…A guy that showed up for half a game for about 1 complete season.
Bears should only trade down to the two teams behind them (#2 and #3) and get first rounder and 2nd rounder this season, and 1st rounder (and maybe a 4th or something like that) next season. While not a lot, they still get a generational player in MHJ, and then hope that both teams look like Carolina did this past season.. With both teams (Patriots and Commanders) having little talent on the roster, new coaches, and I think new GMs, the Bears should be looking at a top five pick for 2025, if not multiple, AND still have a Bears team that should make the playoffs, or be darn close, next season.
From a Bears perspective 14 is too far to trade back.
Bears should keep themselves 10 or below.
I’d
Trade back with NE at 3 let them take Williams
Trade back with ARZ at 4 let them take Harrison Jr
Trade back with ATL to pick Williams, Maye, or Daniels whoever is left.
At 8 I’d take Bowers, Alt, or Nabers. 9 I’d take Jared Verse to pair with Montez Sweat.
As much as Bears fans probably want Williams it makes more sense to build a strong roster. Bears arent a QB away from competing and could set themselves up nicely for years to come by trading back a few times in the 1st round with teams looking to move up.
Most likely won’t happen but Bears could set themselves up nicely for the future by moving back to 5.
3 1’s , a 2nd and a superstar for the right to drafted Diva Caleb? Yea not happening.. they can sit at 14 and take Pennix or wait till round 2 or 3 for Devin Travis
Man. That would be tempting. Bears were a .500 team in the second half of the season.
With Crosby across from Sweat the D would be pretty scary. You could probably grab a WR and OL in the first round. This fills their three biggest non-QB needs.
Then a couple more first rounders as ammo next year if Fields regresses. I’m not sold on Fields being the guy… but he showed some progress this year. He could possibly show more next year.
I’d be tempted for sure.
C Williams can’t beat top 25 teams. What do you expect him do you against NFL defenses?
considering Crosby is worth at least a first and a second then Poles would be getting the value of four firsts and two seconds so no….Poles could, would and should not say no to that offer. And if Davis does that the other owners should revoke his charter for being a million miles beyond stupid. Williams is no sure thing. You want to gamble your future so wrecklessly?
Harbaugh 2.0 MIGHT be slightly better than Payton 2.0.
MIGHT.
By all means, dump a guy who has shown he can do the job for a name looking for a paycheck.
I think this is so inspiring that the players back this man like that
This Rooney Rule becomes more and more embarrassing. First, it’s illegal (racial discrimination). Second, it’s now become a barrier to a black coach becoming head coach of his own team (where he’s already interim coach).
Ludicrous. Idiocracy.
Amazing what the players have said and how they have backed Pierce. The man must be doing a lot right. Pierce should have been made permanent head coach a week ago.
Disagree on the 2nd part. Bowles and Mayo are examples. Both were appointed HC without external interviews. The NFL wouldn’t dare suffer the PR hit of fining. a team because they promoted someone to HC that is a minority no matter what the process is. They aren’t that dumb. That is, after all, their publicly stated goal.
Mayo had some sort of succession language written into his contract apparently (can’t remember if Bowles did), which apparently nullified the need for Rooney compliance. I don’t know why that is excepted, but Pierce doesn’t have it, so the situation is a little different. To be clear, I am certainly not endorsing the Rooney Rule, just discussing the difference.
I believe Bowles did. He came in as Arians’ associate head coach.
What if Bill B’s son had had that language in his contract? ‘He will be the HC after Bill retires/resigns.’. That would make the talking heads explode! The idea of the Rooney Rule is to interview multiple candidates. 2 of which needs to be minorities, correct?
Agreed, and yet the NFL continues to allow Jerry Jones to skirt the rule and hire whoever he pleases. “Hey (Black guy), (Hispanic guy), (Asian guy), (Pacific Islander guy) – insert another category I may have missed -, This is Jerry Jones from the Dallas Cowboys…you hear we have a HC opening? You do? So, you’ve heard about it then and I’ve spoken to you, right? OK, thanks. Have a nice day.” And then he goes and hires whoever he damn well pleases – Parcells, Garrett, McCarthy. Didn’t Dennis Green say during one coaching carousel he had just a really quick, on-the-fly phone interview with Jones and that was it and that sufficed as satisfying the rule?
Pierce did a heck of a job in LV. His team appeared to be focused and ready to go, that KC game alone should be at the top of his resume.
That and whipping the Chargers so bad, they fired both their HC & GM the best day!
They need to scrap the affirmative action Rooney rule… there’s plenty of black coaches… its a formality more often than not.
If they don’t hire Pierce, Crosby should demand a trade. Any hire other than A.P. solidifies the fact that Davis didn’t learn anything from his last mistake with Hoodie Jr. Pierce already should’ve been given the job because he earned it.
Harbaugh would be a massive, massive mistake.
Harbaugh has actually had a lot of success as an NFL head coach compared to McDaniels who failed in Denver and has now proven that he is meant to be a coordinator, not a head coach. With that being said, AP definitely earned the job.
Harbaugh wears on the people around him, though. He has had success. I’m certainly not trying to diminish his accomplishments. I do, however, think that replacing a coach like Pierce -who everyone seems to love, and has proven capable of doing the job- with Harbaugh, and his history of wearing on players, would be a mistake.
Could Las Vegas request a waiver from the league to amend Antonio Pierce’s existing contract to include the language from Jerod Mayo’s contract so that he could be promoted to permanent head coach without going through the full process?
If Pierce doesn’t get a HC gig the Bears should be all up in his ear about coming to Chicago. The Bears DC job should be pretty good with a rising defense and a coach who is on the ledge as the best way to describe him. Get that language written into his deal with the Bears also so he can just step right in.
Were Pelisero and Rapaport directly told that Crosby would seek a trade? Them saying he’s “expected to request a trade” without providing sources is just lame.
That funny cause I hear him say on a show its business and he behind the decision
which would require Davis and co. to “conduct in-person interviews with at least two minority candidates from outside the organization.”
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So a minority like Pierce cannot get the job unless they interview two other minorities? He deserves the job, and it’s insulting, imo, that he has to interview for a job he deserves.
I was also hoping to rob the Jets in an Adams trade, but “Wideout Davante Adams told reporters that he’d “run through a wall” for his coach,” makes it impossible for me to root for a trade.
All I can say is that remember this is the organization that traded Marcus Allen cause Al Davis did not want to pay Allen what then was the going rate for a running back. So making stupid moves are right up the Raiders alley.
Al Davis was certainly not stupid and unlike most owners today he actually had a good foundation of football knowledge. Allen was 32 when he was dealt to Kansas City. Same age as Frank Gore when the Niners decided to let him go. In hindsight you can say “bad decisions” but how many RBs actually stay productive after age 32?
Letting players make coaching decisions worked well for Houston – three years after Watson and his favorite coaches were gone…
I’m going to pushback on that comment, because this is a much different situation. Pierce has shown he can do the job, and Crosby is the pillar of that defense. The results are there.
Even if it doesn’t work, the Raiders would be out far less than if they try to go against the grain. They at least still have Crosby, the media gives them a pass, and probably much of the fanbase too.
What has Mark Davis done to demonstrate he’s smarter than the players? His track record for hiring coaches is horrendous.
The players like him and they played .500 with him…yay. Sounds like a hall of fame candidate for sure
Maybe you have to be a Raider fan to see it, but this team was 100% under Pierce.