Raides Rumors: Las Vegas Can’t Afford To Fire Josh McDaniels
Josh McDaniels, Raiders
Oct 30, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels looks on against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

At 2-7, the Las Vegas Raiders can kiss the hopes of a return to the playoffs goodbye.

The optimism from the offseason has completely disappeared, and the fan base has turned their ire toward Josh McDaniels, who has woefully underachieved in his first year manning the sidelines. Despite McDaniels’ failures, owner Mark Davis came out and gave him his stamp of approval, meaning that fans should expect to see the head coach finish out the year regardless of results.

McDaniels is in the first year of a four-year deal, and people like Bill Plaschke believe he will be the head coach for the foreseeable future due to the Raiders’ financial situation, as transcribed by Justin Leger of NBC Sports:

“I’m saying right now: Josh McDaniels will be the coach this year and next year,” Plaschke said during ESPN’s Around the Horn on Tuesday. “Raiders don’t have the money to fire him, to pay him off. They’re cash-poor.”

Las Vegas’ finances have taken a hit in recent years, most notably after the team parted ways with former head coach Jon Gruden who signed an unprecedented 10-year deal worth about $100 million. The team is committed to McDaniels for at least the near future, though that may prove to be the organization’s undoing as the on-field product has been anything but encouraging.

With the 2022 season already down the drain, the Silver and Black must turn their attention to the offseason, where they will be plenty of questions that need to be answered concerning both the coaching staff and the roster. McDaniels shouldn’t be held completely to blame for this year, though he’ll need to prove that he’s the right man for the job during the final stretch of the season.