The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2023 season really turned around when the team fired Josh McDaniels and promoted Antonio Pierce in an interim role. While they failed to make the playoffs, the energy surrounding the team was immediately different, and the Raiders wound up being the last team to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs before they went on their run to the Super Bowl.
Pierce would be rewarded by being named the permanent head coach this offseason, something that made everyone within the franchise happy. The entire team was completely behind Pierce and star receiver Davante Adams recently revealed that Pierce had gained the respect of the roster before he was even elevated via Aidan Champion of Sports Illustrated:
“I mean, he [Pierce] really affected the team before he even knew he affected the team,” Adams said. “And I say that because we had a little kumbaya. I’m not to sure — I’m not going to get into too much detail about that, but we had a little kumbaya last year right before we actually made the change, and AP actually got up there and spoke in front of the team, and I mean, I think he opened up a lot of people’s eyes because he had been a real, kind of quiet behind-the-scenes dude. You’re a linebackers coach, you don’t really have the same voice as the head coach or as a coordinator does, so he was kind of playing his role with chilling and winning us over just by a few words that he got up there and shared, and we could feel the passion, we could feel that he wasn’t scared of nobody in the room the way he got up there and talked directly toward specific people. He’s not afraid to empower certain players.”
That fire and willingness to hold everyone accountable is something that stood out to Adams as that is exactly the way he likes to be coached:
“Like, I’ve always been a fan of the coaches that can get up there and say, ‘Tae, I need you tomorrow right here’ the night before the game. ‘Tae, I need you to put on your cape tomorrow.’ Whoever the quarterback is, ‘I need you to put your cape on. Josh Jacobs, I need you to put your cape on tomorrow. Y’all the cape wearers.’ And then, he will go to the special teams dudes: ‘You’re my hard hat and my work boots dude, I need you to show up and do what your — your opportunities you have, you may have 10 plays — I need you to put your work boots on and go do your thing. So, for me, I don’t like the coach that’s going to get up there and just be: ‘Altogether, we have to do this, or do that, like whatever.’ No, be direct about what you mean, call out certain players and see what they’re made of.”
Now, with Pierce being locked in as coach, the pressure will now be on to build off the end of last season and push this franchise back to the playoffs. With Pierce at the top and Adams and Maxx Crosby leading the way on the field, this team has the chance to do just that.
Davante Adams’ agents shut down Raiders trade rumors
While Davante Adams has been talking up this Raiders team, the star receiver still can’t seem to escape all of the trade rumors surrounding him. And now his representation is stepping in to try and clear up everything.
Adams’ agents released a statement calling the rumors surrounding Adams ‘baseless, unfounded speculation’ before adding that there have been no trade talks whatsoever.
