Antonio Pierce On Future With Raiders: ‘I’m Under Contract’

Corey Hansford
Corey Hansford
4 Min Read
Sep 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce reacts in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders dropped to 2-12 on the season after losing their 10th consecutive game on Monday night, a 15-9 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons. But as has been the case most weeks, the Raiders fought hard under head coach Antonio Pierce, with a hail mary attempt to win the game being intercepted on the night’s final play.

Pierce’s status as head coach has been a significant topic of discussion lately as any team in the Raiders’ position, tied for the worst record in the NFL with a losing streak of this magnitude, would be right to evaluate the head coach. However, circumstances must also be considered, and no one could argue that Pierce had anything ideal go his way in his first season in charge.

Ultimately, the decision falls on owner Mark Davis, and after Monday’s game, Pierce said that he regularly talks with Davis and that their conversations have been positive, via Tashan Reed of The Athletic:

But regardless of the conversations Pierce has had with Davis, it doesn’t guarantee his job safety moving forward. And when he was asked, the Raiders coach had a simple answer, via Reed:

Unfortunately for Pierce, his contract status does not protect him from potentially being let go at the end of this season. He wouldn’t be the first and won’t be the last, and if Davis feels that he isn’t the right man to lead this Raiders team, then that decision will be made.

So many things didn’t go Pierce’s way this year. It is known that Pierce wanted to move up and draft Jayden Daniels, but that didn’t happen, and the team’s quarterback situation was one of many things that doomed the Raiders. Injuries to key defensive players like Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins, not to mention the Davante Adams saga at the beginning of the year, all contributed to this awful season.

But through all that, the Raiders have continued to play hard under Pierce, which does mean something, as many coaches could have lost the locker room by now. Instead, the Raiders have come out of the bye even more competitive, being within one score going into the fourth quarter in each of the last five games. Whether that is enough to get Pierce another year remains to be seen, however.

Raiders owner Mark Davis reportedly didn’t back Antonio Pierce at NFL Owners Meetings

While Antonio Pierce has been having positive conversations with Raiders owner Mark Davis, things reportedly weren’t as positive during the recent NFL Owners Meetings.

An NFL insider recently reported that Davis had the chance to back Pierce when asked about his status during the meetings, but he did not do so. While this doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything, it certainly would seem to suggest that Davis is seriously considering going in a different direction with his head coach next year.

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Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.