It’s no secret that the end to the Las Vegas Raiders’ 2020 season was disappointing as after starting 6-3, they finished 2-5 to miss the postseason once again.
Arguably the most disappointing loss came in Week 16 against the Miami Dolphins when the Raiders kicked a field goal to take the lead with just 19 seconds left in the game. They then proceeded to allow the Dolphins to march right down the field and kick a field goal of their own to win it as the clock expired.
That was the loss that officially eliminated the Raiders from postseason contention, and after, the team was understandably upset.
It appears that one player was more upset than the rest as according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, wide receiver Nelson Agholor had strong criticism for his teammates in a postgame locker room rant:
Agholor, according to those in the room, said his teammates were selfish and didn’t work hard enough, and that they had quit against the Dolphins as well as in the previous two losses. He said there was no accountability in the locker room, and on winning teams players play for one another and the coaches. The Raiders’ performance over the previous six games was unacceptable, and too many people within the team were just flat-out accepting it.
Agholor told his teammates that they sucked.
Then, according to witnesses, he was done and there was silence. Gruden didn’t respond, and neither did any of the players. (When contacted Thursday night about the speech, Gruden texted, “I love Agholor.”)
Those are obviously some very strong words from Agholor, although it is hard to argue with him after seeing how the Raiders’ season unfolded.
After signing a one-year deal with the Raiders last offseason, Agholor had a career year, hauling in 48 receptions for 896 yards and eight touchdowns. He had his best game of the season in that loss to the Dolphins, finishing with five catches for 155 yards and a touchdown.
Agholor is currently a free agent and while the Raiders have expressed interest in bringing him back, it remains to be seen if that locker room rant hurt his relationship with other players on the team.
If the Raiders don’t re-sign Agholor then they certainly will be in the market for a receiver, and JuJu Smith-Schuster has already expressed interest in signing with the team.
